NORRISTOWN  HERALD 
PRINTING  A.  PUB.  CO. 
NORRISTOWN.  PENNA. 


-fat  1 


HENRY  WOODMAN 


THE  HISTORY  OF 
VALLEY  FORGE 


By  HENRY  WOODMAN 


WITH  A  BIOGRAPHY  OF  THE  AUTHOR  AND  THE  AUTHOR'S 

FATHER  WHO  WAS  A  SOLDIER  WITH  WASHINGTON 

AT   VALLEY   FORGE   DURING   THE   WINTERS 

OF  1777  AND  1778 


AUTHORIZED  BY  THE  WOODMAN  FAMILY 


PUBLISHED  BY 
JOHN  U.  FRANCIS,  SR. 
OAKS,  PA. 


1922 


COPYRIGHT,  1921 

BY 
JOHN  U.  FRANCIS,  SR. 


GENERAL  WASHINGTON 


PREFACE 

LARGE  portrait  of  a  plain,  unassuming  man  was 
hanging  on  the  wall  of  the  Old  Camp  School-house 
in  Valley  Forge  park,  when  John  U.  Francis,  Sr., 
publisher  of  this  history,  took  charge.  Father  was 
born  in  Lower  Providence  township,  just  across  the  Schuylkill 
river  from  the  Cradle  of  American  Liberty.  His  great-grand 
father,  Captain  Arnold  Francis,  had  commanded  the  Provi 
dence  militia  and  had  rendered  conspicuous  service  under 
Washington  at  Valley  Forge.  In  the  family,  Valley  Forge 
was  sacred  ground  and  to  the  name  of  Washington  was  ren 
dered  a  homage  hardly  due  to  mortal  man.  In  keeping  with 
the  suffering  endured,  a  resentment  toward  British  arrogance 
was  developed  which  even  today  causes  the  eye  to  flash  at  the 
slightest  semblance  of  the  thing  on  our  national  horizon.  A 
patriotism  purer  than  father's  we  have  never  met.  To  tell 
the  story  of  Valley  Forge,  than  whom  no  man  knows  it  bet 
ter,  and  to  provide  for  visitors  to  the  park  suitable  souvenirs, 
has  been  to  him  a  labor  of  love.  The  publication  of  this  history 
is  a  becoming  climax  of  his  labors. 

But  year  after  year  the  portrait  continued  to  hang  on  the 
wall.  When  at  times  we  visited  the  Park  and  inquired,  "Whose 
is  that  portrait"  practically  no  light  could  be  given.  "It  was 
sent  down  from  Headquarters."  Some  one  knew  better  than 
father.  In  the  summer  of  1919  a  group  of  visitors  entered  the 
School-house.  One  of  the  ladies  pointed  to  the  portrait  and 
said :  "That  is  a  portrait  of  my  grandfather,  Henry  Woodman. 
He  wrote  the  first  history  of  Valley  Forge."  The  lady  was 
Mrs.  Alice  Woodman  Smith  of  Wycombe,  Bucks  county,  Pa. 
She  promised  a  letter  giving  particulars,  and  in  due  time  one 
was  received.  Miss  Mary  S.,  daughter  of  Henry  Woodman,  a 
lady  now  of  some  eighty  summers,  was  the  embodiment  of  the 
first  commandment  with  promise.  She  had  had  a  small  por 
trait  of  her  father  enlarged  and  had  sent  it  to  the  Headquar 
ters  at  Valley  Forge.  As  already  stated,  from  there  it  was 
sent  down  to  the  old  Camp  School-house. 

Henry  Woodman,  after  many  years  of  urging,  wrote  his 

M19G944 


8  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

history  of  Valley  Forge.  His  home  was  now  near  Doyles- 
town,  Bucks  county,  Pa.  It  was  in  1850  that  he  wrote,  and 
for  The  Doylestown  Intelligencer.  It  appeared  in  the  shape  of 
letters  for  thirty-two  consecutive  weeks,  from  April  30  to  De 
cember  3.  There  is  internal  evidence  that  the  history  at  that 
time  awakened  national  interest.  It  seems  to  have  been  copied 
by  other  newspapers.  Woodman  was  requested  to  print  it  in 
book  form,  but  never  did  so.  Through  his  granddaughter, 
Mrs.  Smith,  it  was  learned  where  the  text  of  his  history  could 
be  found.  Invaluable  service  and  utmost  courtesy  were  re 
ceived  from  the  Historical  Societies  of  Montgomery  and  Bucks 
counties;  and  acknowledgments  for  the  same  are  herewith 
made.  The  book  as  now  published  is  authorized  by  the  Wood 
man  family. 

The  advice  of  John  W.  Jordan,  LL.D.,  historian  of  the  Val 
ley  Forge  Park  Commission,  seems  to  us  to  be  good,  viz.,  that 
we  leave  Woodman  tell  his  own  story,  his  whole  story,  and 
without  any  attempt  at  editing.  Consequently  no  editing  has 
been  done.  Woodman  himself  in  one  of  the  last  letters,  says 
that  if  the  history  were  published  in  book  form,  he  would 
make  some  grammatical  corrections.  Evident  errors  of  this 
nature  have  been  corrected,  but  it  is  believed  that  in  no  way 
has  the  individuality  of  the  writer  been  marred. 

As  to  the  unique  fitness  of  Henry  Woodman  to  write  the 
history  of  Valley  Forge,  we  refer  you  to  the  sketch  of  him  by 
his  daughter,  Miss  Mary  S.  Woodman,  p.  16,  and  then  to  the 
sketch  of  his  father,  Edward  Woodman,  p.  11,  also  by  Miss 
Mary  S.  Woodman.  But  the  book  must  be  read  to  perceive  his 
surpassing  fitness.  His  mother  is  his  heroine.  She  was  nine 
teen  years  of  age  when  the  army  encamped  at  Valley  Forge, 
and  she  resided  within  the  lines  of  the  encampment.  She  was 
recognized  in  her  day  as  a  living  history  of  it. 

It  has  been  urged  against  Woodman  that  he  received  his 
information  in  his  earlier  years,  that  he  wrote  at  the  age  of 
fifty-five,  and  after  he  had  been  away  from  Valley  Forge  for 
a  quarter  of  a  century,  that  he  wrote  only  from  memory,  with 
out  any  official  papers  at  hand.  In  reply  we  beg  to  say  that 
he  had  been  told  the  stories  o'er  and  o'er  in  youth  by  his  father, 
who  had  been  a  soldier  in  the  camp  here,  who  tramped  with 
with  him  over  the  old  encampment  grounds  from  his  fifth  year 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  9 

and  upward,  and  the  father's  delight  was  to  explain  to  his  son. 
He  had  heard  his  mother  ever  and  anon  tell  of  "those  times." 
Henry  later  took  visitors  over  the  grounds  and  acted  as  in 
formant,  reiterating  the  stories  told  him.  He  had  heard  the 
old  ladies,  lasses  at  Valley  Forge  in  1778,  recount  in  conclave 
to  each  other  encampment  reminiscences.  Bring  up  a  child  in 
the  way  in  which  he  should  go  and  when  he  is  old  he  will  not 
depart  from  it.  Beside  his  mother  lived  up  almost  to  the  time 
that  he  wrote;  and  his  mother's  sister  was  still  living.  This 
sister  was  nine  years  old  at  the  time  of  the  encampment  and 
was  a  favorite  of  Baron  DeKalb.  At  the  time  of  writing  Wood 
man  interviewed  others  who  had  lived  at  Valley  Forge  during 
the  memorable  time.  Also  he  had  helped  old  soldiers  who  had 
been  there  to  get  pensions  and  had  assisted  others  in  securing 
money  from  the  government  for  damages  incurred  through 
the  encampment.  Furthermore,  he  frequently  discussed  Val 
ley  Forge  matters  with  men  of  intelligence,  of  patriotism,  and 
of  affairs.  He  had  been  a  school  teacher,  a  scrivener,  a  sur 
veyor  at  Valley  Forge,  and  a  Quaker  preacher,  all  of  which 
tended  to  make  him  capable,  exact  and  conscientious,  and  con 
sequently  more  reliable.  He  wrote  when  he  was  mature  and 
before  his  faculties  were  impaired.  Who  can  doubt  that  Provi 
dence  prepared  him  for  his  task?  Surely  his  history  may  be 
received  with  confidence. 

The  Quaker  has  been  stigmatized  as  pro-Tory.  Valley 
Forge  was  a  Quaker  settlement.  William  Penn  had  given  his 
daughter  Letitia  a  manor  here  of  more  than  1000  acres;  and 
she  in  1705  built  what  is  now  known  as  the  old  Camp  School- 
house,  at  present  the  quarters  of  the  publisher  of  this  history. 
Here  Henry  Woodman  attended  school ;  and  it  is  most  fitting 
that  his  history  should  now  go  forth  from  its  walls  to  educate 
the  nation  on  Valley  Forge.  The  Quakers  were  opposed  to 
war ;  as  a  class  they  were  second  to  none  in  devotion  to  the  in 
terests  of  the  colonies.  If  some  were  pro-Tory,  this  cannot  be 
said  of  Henry  Woodman.  His  father,  an  Episcopalian  by 
birth,  practically  a  Quaker  or  Friend  at  death,  was  through 
the  Revolution  from  start  to  finish,  from  Carolina  to  Mas 
sachusetts.  No  purer  American  blood  ever  flowed  than  that 
which  coursed  through  the  veins  of  Henry  Woodman.  His  was 
red  blood,  but  not  too  red.  His  love  for  Valley  Forge  is  exactly 


10  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

the  spirit  toward  it  that  it  should  be  fostered  in  American 
homes.  Valley  Forge  is  our  national  center.  Woodman  is  an 
expression  of  American  life,  not  a  superimposition  upon  it. 
His  history  should  be  in  every  American  home. 

He  gives  the  history  of  Valley  Forge  from  the  time  his 
ancestor  Evan  ap  Bevan  in  1686  took  up  here  2000  acres  of 
virgin  land,  down  through  the  Revolution  to  the  time  he  wrote 
the  history.  Some  parts  will  be  found  of  more  interest  than 
others.  He  not  only  introduces  us  to  but  causes  us  to  form  the 
acquaintance  of  the  generals  of  Washington's  army.  Baron 
DeKalb  was  quartered  at  the  home  of  Woodman's  grand 
father.  If  the  Frenchman  Lafayette  was  wounded  for  our  in 
dependence,  for  our  independence  the  Prussion  DeKalb  made 
the  supreme  sacrifice ;  also  Baron  Von  Steuben,  another  Prus 
sian,  made  Washington's  army  strong  unto  invincibility.  But 
we  must  uphold  Poland  for  Kosciusko's  sake,  and  for  the 
sake  of  Pulaski,  who,  like  DeKalb,  laid  down  his  life 
for  us.  We  can  hardly  forgive  Lafayette  for  not  coming  to 
Valley  Forge  when  he  visited  America.  Every  true  American 
rejoices  that  we  could  pay  our  debts  to  France  and  Poland ;  but 
read  and  answer  to  your  own  conscience  whether  we  owe  a  debt 
to  Prussia.  The  World  War  is  over,  and  the  words  of  Lincoln 
are  suited  to  every  American :  "With  malice  toward  none,  with 
charity  for  all."  We  are  sure  that  this  is  the  spirit  of  Wood 
man's  history  of  Valley  Forge. 

J.  G.  FRANCIS. 
Lebanon,  Pa.,  Feb.  12,  1920. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  THIRD  EDITION 

OME  errors  of  grammar  and  some  of  fact  crept  into 
the  first  edition.  These  have  been  corrected  as  far  as 
we  have  been  able  to  detect  them.  This  edition  is 
much  more  profusely  illustrated,  and  misplacement 
of  illustrations  has  been  rectified.  A  few  small  addi 
tions  have  been  made  to  the  preface  of  the  first  edition,  it  be 
ing  deemed  better  to  place  them  there  than  in  this  preface.  A 
Table  of  Contents  and  an  Index  have  also  been  added  as  well 
as  a  list  of  Illustrations.  Some  of  the  headings  in  the  body  of 
the  book  have  been  changed  and  some  have  been  added,  pre 
senting,  we  believe,  a  better  grasp  of  the  book.  What  was  an 
Introduction  has  been  made  an  Appendix.  The  map  of  the 
Park  was  added  already  to  the  second  edition. 

As  to  the  identity  of  the  quarters  of  the  generals,  we 
take  Woodman  as  authority.  He  possessed  every  means  of 
knowing,  and  he  was  above  misrepresentation.  There  is  no 
one  whom  we  regard  as  at  all  comparable  to  him  in  this  mat 
ter.  Where  any  one  clearly  differs  from  him,  we  at  once  dis 
card  them.  This  will  cause  a  revolution  as  to  some  accepta 
tions  ;  but  our  course  will,  we  are  sure,  set  wrong  acceptations 
right  as  surely  as  did  the  Revolution.  Practically  every  one 
who  has  done  any  service  in  determining  these  locations, 
whose  work  has  come  to  our  notice,  we  are  confident  ultimately 
drew  chiefly  from  Woodman. 

While  Woodman  knew  and  is  accepted  as  knowing,  his 
designations  will  be  worthless  unless  we  can  identify  them.  It 
was  seventy  years  after  the  Revolution  when  he  wrote,  and  it 
is  seventy  years  since  he  wrote.  The  farms  had  changed 
hands  many  times  up  to  when  he  wrote,  and  they  have  changed 
hands  many  times  since.  They  have  been  divided  and  sub 
divided.  In  many  cases  the  original  buildings  have  been  torn 
down  and  have  been  succeeded  once  or  twice  by  new  ones.  On 
new  farms  formed  from  parts  of  the  old,  buildings  have  been 
erected  which  in  some  cases  are  much  older  than  the  new 
buildings  which  succeeded  the  original  ones  on  the  old  farms. 
It  will  thus  be  seen  that  our  problem  becomes  intricate.  Had 
we  left  ourselves  open  in  the  least  to  discouragement,  again 
and  again  we  would  have  given  up  the  task.  We  perserved 
till  the  clouds  broke  and  rolled  away ;  and  we  believe  that  over 
our  head  is  now  a  clear  sky. 

We  believe  in  the  traditions  of  a  worthy  people ;  and  none 
are  more  worthy  than  the  Quaker  farmers  of  "the  Great  Val 
ley"  about  Valley  Forge,  under  whose  roofs  Washington  and 
his  generals  found  shelter  during  the  awful  winter,  the  fateful 


12  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

winter,  of  1777-78.  To  doubt  the  traditions  of  these  people 
falls  not  short  of  treason.  To  doubt  them  is  to  nullify  the  value 
of  Valley  Forge  Park.  Who  will  sufficiently  estimate  the  in 
fluence  of  their  simple  faith  in  carrying  Washington  and  his 
noble  band  safely  through  the  crucial  ordeal?  The  general 
who  stood  next  to  Washington  himself  was  a  regular  attendant 
of  the  Quaker  meetings.  He  drank  from  fountains  that 
strengthened.  The  Quaker's  Sword  of  the  Spirit  wrought 
more  than  the  sword  of  steel.  We  thank  God  that  the  ground 
of  Valley  Forge  Park,  the  mecca  of  our  national  birth,  has  re 
ceived  not  one  drop  of  brother  man's  blood  that  cries  out  to 
God  for  vengeance. 

But  back  to  the  tangible.  We  want  to  give  credit  to  those 
descendants  of  "ye  olden  time"  Quaker  farmers  of  "the  Great 
Valley,"  who  helped  us  to  identify  the  farms  of  which  Wood 
man  tells. 

First,  we  called  on  "Bill"  Stephens,  whose  ancestor's  farms 
quartered  so  large  a  part  of  the  army  and  also  Generals  Var- 
num  and  Huntingdon.  There  is  no  question  as  to  the  identity 
of  these  farms.  "Bill"  was  born  under  the  roof  which  shel 
tered  Varnum.  Treat  him  tenderly,  considerately,  for  the  sake 
of  his  fathers. 

To  Charles  Havard,  of  Lebanon,  Pa.,  prothonotary  of 
Lebanon  county,  born  also  under  a  roof  that  sheltered  one  of 
Washington's  generals,  we  are  indebted  for  directing  us  to 
those  who  helped  us.  Clarence  Roberts,  who  is  a  mixture  of 
all  the  old  Quaker  families,  and  whose  farm  is  a  part  of  the 
Knox  quarter  farm,  helped  us  to  identify  the  quarters  of 
Knox,  Woodford,  Scott  and  Greene.  The  four  farms  on  which 
were  Potter,'  Poor,  Mifflin  and  Sullivan,  are  the  four  farms 
in  a  sense  generally  accepted,  but  they  have  become  obscured 
and  confused  among  themselves.  In  unthreading  the  tangle, 
we  are  indebted  to  Nathan  Walker  and  to  the  Richards  brothers 
and  sister.  The  History  of  the  Walker  family  by  Mrs.  Streets 
afforded  no  little  help  in  all  these  cases.  Mrs.  Peter  Rapp,  of 
Oaks,  Pa.,  whose  husband's  great-grandfather  died  at  Valley 
Forge,  and  whose  mother,  a  born  Kennedy,  was  reared  on  the 
Mordecai  Moore  farm,  bears  testimony  as  to  the  identity  of 
that  place. 

The  other  quarters  are  not  in  doubt,  and  the  general  ac 
ceptation  accords  with  our  author,  likely  came  from  him.  Sev 
eral  of  the  generals  were  quartered  in  huts,  among  them  Baron 
Von  Steuben.  There  is  a  tradition  that  in  the  later  stage  of 
the  encampment,  the  Baron  was  quartered  in  a  little  stone 
house  now  sandwiched  in  between  the  higher  stone  part  and 
the  high  brick  part  of  what  was  the  residence  of  Gen.  Fisher, 
near  the  Village  of  Valley  Forge,  the  property  now  owned  by 
Heinz  of  the  57  kinds  of  food  preparation ;  but  our  author  does 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  13 

not  mention  this  and  we  pass  it  by.  Woodman  was  of  the  im 
pression  that  officers  were  quartered  across  the  river;  but 
as  he  was  never  able  to  clear  up  the  matter,  no  one  has  ever 
made  anything  of  it.  We  advance  the  theory  that  Armstrong 
was  across  the  river.  We  hope  that  the  trans-river  problem 
will  yet  be  cleared  up. 

We  had  entertained  the  hope  of  interviewing  Rev.  Quimby, 
of  Berwyn,  a  few  miles  south  of  Valley  Forge,  on  the  South 
Valley  Forge,  who  has  written  an  interesting  romance  on  Val 
ley  Forge.  After  we  had  reached  our  conclusions,  our  hope 
was  gratified.  The  beautiful,  the  magnificent  view  of  the 
Great  Valley  from  his  South  Valley  Hill  lured  him  into  writ 
ing  the  story.  He  weaves  in  so  many  authentic  incidents  that 
his  story  may  to  some  extent  be  accepted  as  a  history  of  the 
encampment.  But  he  had  read  Woodman  in  full.  Mr.  Camp 
bell,  now  deceased,  of  Berwyn,  had  succeeded  in  doing  what 
we  did  later,  though  without  our  knowledge  till  our  call  on 
Rev.  Quimby — Mr.  Campbell  had  succeeded  in  copying  with 
his  own  hand  all  of  Woodman's  History.  Rev.  Quimby  is  not 
an  original  investigator.  He  accepted  current  traditions  and 
wrote  his  story.  But  Mr.  Campbell  did  more  than  copy 
Woodman.  He  spent  a  lot  of  time  and  money  in  locating 
and  photographing  the  quarters  of  the  generals.  His  con 
clusions  do  not  all  agree  with  ours,  but  his  list  deserved  to 
overflowing  the  distinction  accorded  it  by  the  Valley  Forge 
Park  Commission,  viz.,  of  being  printed  in  their  report  of 
1904.  We  were  gratified  to  find  that  Mr.  Campbell  placed 
Scott  where  we  had  placed  him. 

We  deem  it  in  place  here  to  say  something  in  particular 
about  the  quarters  of  Knox  and  Mifflin,  for  here  we  run  up 
against  generally  accepted  tradition.  Woodman  tells  us  that 
Maxwell  was  quartered  on  the  farm  now  accepted  as  Knox's 
quarters  and  now  owned  by  his  worthy  descendant,  United 
States  Senator  Philander  C.  Knox.  Woodman  places  Knox 
on  the  farm  joining  this  one  on  the  south,  now  owned  by 
Thomas  Royal.  The  error  we  account  for  in  this  way:  It 
became  customary  in  old  diagrams  to  mark  only  the  quarters 
of  Knox  to  the  southwest  of  the  encampment,  Maxwell  being 
left  out,  it  being  known  that  Knox  was  to  the  southwest, 
the  first  farm  in  that  direction  was  assigned  as  his  quarters. 
Woodford  was  also  to  the  southwest,  but  because  others  were 
omitted,  he  also  has  been  placed  on  a  wrong  farm.  All  must 
receive  their  due,  if  any  are  to  be  kept  in  their  proper  place. 

Mifflin  is  assigned  to  the  "Little  White  Cottage,"  Miss 
Thomson's  convalescent  home  for  children,  on  the  Thomson 
estate.  This  was  the  main  house  of  the  Benj.  Jones  farm 
just  bought  from  Jacob  Walker  and  still  occupied  by  him. 
(See  page  119.)  At  his  house  Potter  was  quartered.  (See 


14  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

page  58.)  Benjamin  Jones  occupied  the  other  house  "with 
a  few  acres  of  land."  Here  Poor  was  quartered,  doubtless 
after  having  been  with  Pulaski  on  the  Beaver  farm.  This 
home  of  Benjamin  Jones  must  have  been  the  old  part  of  the 
house  now  occupied  by  Nathan  Walker,  which  Nathan  thinks 
stood  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution.  Woodman  clearly 
places  Mifflin  on  the  Havard  Walker  farm  now  owned  by 
Commissioner  John  R.  K.  Scott.  Sullivan  was  on  the  farm 
north  of  this,  also  owned  by  Mr.  Scott,  the  buildings  being 
on  the  Richards  Road.  The  original  houses  on  both  these 
farms  are  no  longer  standing.  The  old  house  between  Sulli 
van's  quarters  and  Mr.  Scott's  summer  residence,  the  Chil 
dren's  Summer  Home,  was  built  in  1791. 

Had  time  and  means  permitted,  further  investigations 
might  with  profit  have  been  made.  We  have  done  what  we 
could  and  believe  the  quarters  of  the  generals  have  been  cor 
rectly  identified.  Like  all  people  American,  we  are  open  to 
amendment. 

The  sale  of  two  editions  in  the  Old  Camp  School-house 
the  first  year  is  very  gratifying  to  the  publisher  and  his 
friends,  and  demonstrates  that  this  text-book  on  Valley 
Forge  meets  a  need  and  that  this  aspiration  to  educate  the 
nation  on  Valley  Forge  is  well  under  way. 

It  has  become  our  conviction  that  this  history  was  writ 
ten  on  the  request  of  Washington  himself,  for  on  his  last 
visit  to  Valley  Forge  in  1796,  just  before  laying  aside  his 
mantle  of  public  service  and  retiring  to  Mt.  Vernon,  Wash 
ington  came  to  our  author's  father,  plowing  in  the  field,  and 
asked  for  information  concerning  the  place.  (See  page  126.) 
Our  author  was  then  less  than  a  year  old.  The  father 
reared  his  son  for  the  task  which  he  must  have  perceived 
Washington  wished  performed.  Who  can  doubt  that  "the 
Father  of  His  Country"  regarded  Valley  Forge  as  the  realiza 
tion  of  the  birth  of  the  nation,  the  place  where  the  prayer 
of  suffering  endurance  touched  the  heart  of  God  and  caused 
Him  to  present  to  us  our  priceless  gift  of  national  inde 
pendence,  in  that  freedom  wherewith  his  Son  makes  free. 
John  8 :  36. 

Washington  said  to  the  father  of  our  historian  that  "to 
see  the  people  happy  and  satisfied,  and  the  desolate  fields 

recovering afforded  him  more  real  satisfaction 

than  all  the  servile  homage  that  could  be  paid  to  his  person 
or  station."  These  words  should  be  preserved  in  stone  or 
metal  in  the  field  in  which  they  were  uttered.  Surely  to 
have  the  government  administered  in  the  spirit  of  Philadel 
phia  and  Valley  Forge  would  afford  him  more  pleasure  than 
to  have  the  government  located  in  a  city  or  to  have  a  Presi- 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  15 

dent  sail  the  ocean  in  a  ship  called  by  his  name,  however 
respectful  these  courtesies  may  be. 

Heaven  is  a  place  as  well  as  a  condition,  and  the  condi 
tion  is  assured  with  certainty  only  in  the  place;  and  the  con 
tinuance  of  the  government  in  its  original  purity  is  assured 
only  in  the  place  of  its  birth.  The  location  of  the  site  of  our 
government  in  a  province  originally  settled  by  a  part  of  the 
Christian  Church  with  headship  across  the  ocean  points  us  to 
one  thing  only — subjection  to  foreign  domination.  Continued 
possession  of  the  liberty  won  by  the  prayer  of  suffering  of 
Washington  and  his  heroic  band  is  assured  with  certainty 
only  by  the  seat  of  the  government  in  the  place  of  its  birth, 
in  the  City  of  Brotherly  Love,  down  past  which  flows  the 
waters  of  Valley  Forge. 

Because  of  these  things  we  cannot  in  vain  invoke  God's 
blessing  on  this  book  as  it  goes  forth  more  fully  on  its  mission. 
God  bless  it  in  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

J.  G.  FRANCIS. 
Lebanon,  Pa.,  Jan.  20,  1921. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

Preface 7 

Life  of  Henry  Woodman 19 

Author's  Introduction 24 

Valley  Forge  in  1850 27 

BEFORE  THE  ENCAMPMENT 

Original  Settlement  and  the  Forge 28 

A  Depository  of  Military  Stores 30 

The  Burning  of  the  Valley  Forge 33 

Hunting  Jehu — Two  Women  of  the  Revolution 33 

Unceremonious  Visit  of  the  Hessians 39 

Phin's   Fort    41 

General  Observations   42 

Dewee's  Regalia 42 

Howe  and  Burgoyne 44 

Lydia  Darrach  and  Another  "Female" 45 

THE  ENCAMPMENT  PROPER 

Arrival  of  the  Army   49 

Locating  the  Encampment 53 

Quarters  of  the  General  Officers 57 

Disposition  of  the  Army 59 

Incidents  ofthe  Camp  62 

More  About  Wheedon    66 

DeKalb  Succeeds  Wheedon   67 

Other  Distinguished  Foreigners    70 

Dubryson's  Cave  70 

Steuben's  Kitchen , 71 

Sullivan's  Bridge 72 

Sufferings  of  Civilians   74 

Soldiers  as  Beasts  of  Burden   74 

Hospitals  75 

About  Some  of  the  Officers 76 

Alarms  and  Losses 79 

The  Hanging  of  a  Spy 79 

A  Duel 80 

Some  Addenda 81 

"Benevolent  Females" 83 

Later  Celebrities 83 

The  Forts   85 

Bake-House  and  Armory    86 

Provision  Store   87 

Before  and  After 87 

The  British  Informed 88 

Departure  and  Desolation 91 

A  Few  Reflections 93 

A  Community  Prostrate 95 


The  German  Physician  and  the  Riding  Horse 96 

From  War  to  Peace 97 

SUBSEQUENT  TO  THE  ENCAMPMENT 

The  Forge  Relit 99 

The  Headquarters  After  the  War 100 

The  Disposition  of  the  Potts'  Estate 101 

Other  Land  West  of  the  Creek 104 

An  Indian  Tale   105 

Across  the  River    107 

The  Pauling  Estate 107 

The  Wetherill  Estates 107 

The  Mines  near  Shannonville    (Audubon) 108 

Two  Guests  of  James  Vaux 109 

The  Bakewell  Home  and  Audubon 109 

A  Traveler's  Estimate  of  this  Section   110 

East  of  the  Valley  Creek Ill 

The  Farm  of  John  Brown Ill 

The  Farm  of  Samuel  Havard    112 

The  Farm  of  John  Havard 112 

Richards  and  Jones  Farms 113 

Farm  of  John  Beaver 115 

Farms   of   Joseph  Walker    116 

About  Gen.  Wayne 116 

The  Farm  of  Benj.  Jones 119 

Farms  of  Thomas  Waters 119 

The  Widow  of  Colonel  Dewees  Indemnified 120 

Farm  of  Abijah  Stevens   121 

In  the  County  of  Montgomery 

West  of  the  River 123 

The  Moore  Properties 123 

Alexander  Kennedy 123 

A  Dignified  Visitor  in  a  Plain  Suit  of  Black 126 

Letitia  Penn's  Manor   128 

The  Jenkins-Morris  Farm  128 

Port  Kennedy 129 

The  Provost  Farm 133 

The  David  Stephens  Farms 136 

Minerals    138 

General  Review 143 

New  Timber  Growth 143 

Pilgrimages  and  Gatherings   145 

Visit  of  Lafayette 146 

Conclusion    149 

Heroines  of  the  Story   149 

A  Sons'  Hero   149 

Concluding  Requests  151 

Author's  Valedictory    153 

Biography  of  Edward  Woodman 157 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Facing  Page 

Henry  Woodman,  the  Author,  frontispiece 3 

General  Washington 4 

Quarters  of  Wheedon  and  of  DeKalb 38 

Birthplace  of  the  Author 38 

Old  Camp  School-house,  exterior 39 

Old  Camp  School-house,  interior 39 

The  March  to  Valley  Forge 48 

In  Winter  Quarters  at  Valley  Forge 49 

Washington's  Headquarters    56 

Interiors  of  Washington's  Headquarters   (5) 57 

Generals  of  the  Army   76 

The  Nation's  Message   77 

Quarters  of  the  P.  0.  S.  of  A 100 

Quarters  of  Gen.  Varnum  and  of  the  D.  A.  R 100 

Quarters  of  Gen.  Huntingdon 101 

Quarters  of  the  Provost  Guard 101 

Von  Steuben  drilling  the  Soldiers 106 

The  Vaux-Bakewell-Wetherill  Mansion    107 

The  Saylor-Francis  Home  107 

Quarters  of  Gen.  Maxwell   110 

Quarters  of  Gen.  Lafayette   110 

Quarters  of  Gen.  Knox  Ill 

Quarters  of  Gen.  Lee Ill 

Quarters  of  Gen.  Scott   114 

Quarters  of  Gen.  Woodford   114 

Quarters  of  Lord   Sterling    115 

Quarters  of  Gen.  Pulaski    115 

Quarters  of  Gen.  Wayne 118 

Quarters  of  Gen.  Greene   118 

Quarters  of  Gen.  Potter    119 

Quarters  of  Gen.  Poor  119 

Quarters  of  Gen.  Mifflin   122 

Quarters  of  Gen.  Sullivan   122 

Quarters  of  Gen.  Morgan  and  Com.-Gen 123 

Quarters  of  Gen.  Muhlenberg  123 


THE   LIFE  OF  HENRY  WOODMAN 

BY 

HIS  DAUGHTER,  MARY  S.  WOODMAN 

EARLY  LIFE 

Henry  Woodman,  the  third  son  and  fifth  child  of  Edward 
and  Sarah  (Stephens)  Woodman,  though  born  at  the  Valley 
Homestead  on  the  20th  of  December,  1795,  cannot  be  said 
to  have  grown  up  in  his  parents'  household.  The  greater 
part  of  his  childhood  and  youth  was  spent  with  his  grand 
mother  and  aunts  at  their  home  about  half  a  mile  farther  up 
the  creek  (Valley  Creek  on  which  is  Valley  Forge),  in  the 
house  built  by  Grandfather  Stephens  after  the  Revolutionary 
War. 

Being  industrious,  willing,  quick-minded,  and  always 
prompt,  when  things  were  given  to  him  to  do,  all  the  errands 
of  both  homes  fell  to  his  luck.  Of  things  Father  told  me  of 
his  child  life  he  could  not  have  been  a  boy  as  others  were,  the 
sports  and  amusements  of  other  children  had  no  charm  for 
him  and  he  would  not  engage  in  many  of  them.  The  conse 
quence  was  that  others,  having  more  of  the  bad  boy  in  them, 
had  often  made  a  butt  of  him  for  their  cruel  fun.  Possessing, 
as  he  did,  a  mind  of  keen  sensibility,  he  suffered  much  from 
the  jokes  of  his  companions.  Every  opportunity  for  the  im 
provement  of  his  mind  was  eagerly  sought  after;  and,  by 
the  time  he  was  fourteen  had  made  so  much  progress  in  all 
that  was  taught  in  the  neighboring  school,  his  relatives 
thought  it  right  to  send  him  to  a  boarding  school.  Money  was 
hard  to  get — could  they  meet  the  costs?  "Well,"  said  his 
father  to  Aunt  Becky  Stephens,  "by  all  means  we  must  edu 
cate  Henry,  for  he  does  not  know  enough  ever  to  make  any 
thing  but  a  scholar."  The  various  kinds  of  work  that  called 
for  farm  or  mechanical  skill  Henry  could  not  learn,  and  that 
is  why  his  father  thought  him  fit  only  for  a  scholar. 

SCHOOL-TEACHER,  ACCOUNTANT  AND  SCRIBE 

So  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  summer  harvest  was  gath 
ered,  he  was  sent  to  Benjamin  Moore's  boarding  school  for 
one  year,  which  was  divided  into  four  quarters  with  72  days 
each.  When  he  came  home  at  the  end  of  the  school  year,  the 
schoolmaster  having  run  away  and  left  an  unfinished  quarter, 
the  boy,  not  yet  sixteen,  was  asked  to  finish  it,  which  he  did, 
and  also  the  succeeding  one. 


'20l':  ;HTHE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

Next  he  went  to  the  Gulph  School,  from  there  to  Judge 
Jones'  school-house  in  Lower  Merion  township,  teaching  a 
year  in  each  place.  The  time  lived  in  the  latter  was  a  pleasant 
and  busy  part  of  his  life  for  he  studied  the  higher  branches 
of  mathematics,  under  the  instruction  of  Enoch  Lewis,  the 
celebrated  mathematician.  He  also  improved  himself  in 
English  grammar.  At  all  times  Father  embraced  himself 
of  an  opportunity  to  gain  a  better  education.  He  became  a 
scholar  without  cost  to  his  friends,  paying  back  the  money 
advanced  for  the  year's  schooling  before  the  two  years  had 
elapsed.  The  wages  of  a  country  school-master,  however, 
were  so  small  that  he  gave  up  the  business  of  teaching. 

In  his  twentieth  year  he  went  to  Philadelphia.  He  was 
employed  first  in  a  wholesale  grocery,  remaining  ten  weeks 
only,  for  they  sold  whiskey  and  he  would  not  do  that.  Next 
he  went  into  an  iron  store,  leaving  there  to  go  into  the  em 
ploy  of  Rogers  Bros.,  whose  business  was  wholesale  hardware 
and  fine  cutlery.  They  also  had  a  large  wood  wharf,  besides 
which  the  firm  operated  the  iron  works  at  Valley  Forge. 

His  energies  were  all  called  into  service  in  that  firm.  "He 
held  a  ready  pen,  and  could  post  books  and  count  figures 
faster  than  either  of  the  brothers.  At  the  wharf  he  would, 
if  it  was  required,  cord  wood  with  a  black  man  at  the  other 
end  of  the  log,  then  go  back  to  the  desk  and  do  efficient  work, 
or  perhaps  be  sent  to  do  their  bank  business."  A  daughter 
of  one  of  the  brothers  told  me,  "Your  father  was  the  most 
capable  man  the  firm  ever  employed  because  he  was  a  good 
clerk  and  not  too  proud  to  do  all  kinds  of  necessary  work  or 
drudgery."  The  death  of  Grandfather  Woodman  brought 
many  changes,  Rebecca  and  Henry  had  to  return  from  the 
City,  to  him  a  real  misfortune.  The  Rogers  Bros,  offered 
him  an  increase  in  salary,  already  a  good  one;  but  it  was 
thought  by  the  family  he  ought  to  go  to  the  assistance  of  his 
mother,  and  being  a  conscientious  man,  he  thought  so  too. 
I  think  it  was  a  mistaken  idea  of  duty — Aunt  Rebecca  could 
have  gotten  along  as  well  without  as  with  him.  But  he 
brought  money  into  the  family  by  surveying,  deed-writing, 
teaching,  and  other  business  of  similar  nature,  not  by  farm 
ing.  [This  work,  however,  helped  prepare  him  for  the  great 
work  of  writing  "The  History  of  the  Valley  Forge." — Ed.] 

A  QUAKER  PREACHER 

Through  all  the  children  of  Edward  and  Sarah  Woodman 
ran  a  deep  current  of  religious  thought  and  feeling.  With 
Henry  it  was  the  mainspring  of  life,  a  simple  religious  faith, 
held  with  firm  convictions,  free  from  sectarian  bias,  was  the 
influence  that  controlled  his  thought  and  action.  He  early 
renounced  "the  vanities  and  attractions  of  the  world"  and 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  21 

gave  his  mind  to  the  cultivation  of  a  religious  life.  During 
the  time  he  resided  in  Philadelphia  he  united  with  the  re 
ligious  Society  of  Friends,  and  soon  after  began  to  speak  a 
little  in  meetings  for  worship.  About  the  year  1825  his  gift 
in  the  ministry  was  acknowledged  by  the  "people  called 
Quakers,"  and  he  became  a  recommended  minister  of  the 
Society.  After  he  moved  to  Bucks  County  he  experienced 
some  trouble  from  such  members  at  Wrightstown  as  could 
not  understand  his  liberal  views  in  religion.  "Through  all 
I  have  lived  in  that  joy  of  soul  in  God  and  His  providence, 
which  cannot  be  taken  away  or  destroyed,"  were  his  own  re 
lation  of  the  trying  events.  A  generous  nature,  a  magnani 
mous  soul,  a  heart  with  as  little  envy  and  jealousy  in  it  as  can 
be  imagined,  were  my  Father's  natural  attributes.  In  the 
social  circle  he  delighted  to  please  and  interest  all,  in  his  house 
hold  at  all  times  very  kind  and  indulgent,  patient  and  loving, 
toward  all  alike. 

MARRIAGE 

Henry  Woodman  and  Mary  Smith,  daughter  of  Benjamin 
and  Mary  Smith,  he  an  elder  of  Wrightstown  Meeting,  were 
married  on  September  12,  1827,  according  to  the  order  and 
under  the  care  of  Wrightstown  monthly  meeting  of  Friends, 
in  the  meeting-house  at  Wrightstown,  Bucks  county,  Penn 
sylvania,  May  1st,  1828,  he  went  to  reside  with  his  wife  and 
her  aged  parents. 

Up  to  about  1840  he  ofter  visited  meetings  with  a  minute. 
In  1837  Mother  accompanied  him  to  Baltimore  Yearly-meet 
ing.  She  was  not  strong  enough  to  take  such  journeys.  Father 
when  preaching  had  a  free  and  easy  flow  of  language,  a  good 
clear  voice,  at  no  loss  for  words.  Had  he  been  educated  for 
the  pulpit,  he  would  have  been  eloquent.  The  proudest,  the 
richest,  the  poorest,  and  with  the  same  truth  add  the 
wickedest  folks  in  the  neighborhood  sent  for  Henry  Wood 
man,  when  any  one  in  the  family  was  buried.  To  all  he 
went  with  the  same  message  of  gospel  truth  and  love. 

Father  had  a  fondness  and  good  faculty  for  telling  anec 
dotes.  One  time  when  in  Norristown  over  First-day,  it  so 
happened  several  other  cousins  were  in  the  town  visiting. 
All  were  invited  to  take  dinner  at  the  hospitable  home  of 
Lindley  and  Margaret  Rossitter.  They  lingered  around  the 
table  talking  of  early  recollections.  Father  told  something 
humorous,  which  all  enjoyed  except  Aunt  Ruth,  who  straight 
ened  up,  looked  at  him,  and  ejaculated:  "Laws!  Henry,  how 
can  thee  go  to  meeting,  preach,  come  back  and  be  so  shallow!" 
Her  brother  Henry  was  serious  enough  when  occasion  called 
for  seriousness. 


22  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

SCHOOL  DIRECTOR 

He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  First  Board  of  Directors 
for  the  public  schools  in  Buckingham  township,  became  the 
Secretary  of  the  Board,  which  he  continued  to  be,  with  the 
exception  of  one  year,  for  a  period  of  twenty-one  years.  The 
office  was  just  suited  to  his  unselfish  nature,  not  one  cent 
of  money  for  the  services  in  those  days  and  very  little  thanks. 
He  could  work  the  same  without  either.  He  visited  the 
schools  often,  where  his  genial  temper  rendered  him  a  favorite 
with  the  children.  He  would  have  some  exercise  not  usual  in 
the  school,  adding  a  little  humor  with  his  remarks  and  advice. 
The  good  seed  he  sowed  has  blossomed  for  me  through  the 
many  men  and  women  I  have  met  who  have  told  me  of  the 
pleasure  it  gave  them  when  he  came  alone  into  the  school 
room.  My  pleasure  is  in  knowing  that  he  is  thus  gratefully 
remembered  by  the  children  he  so  often  benefited. 

"OLIVE  BRANCHES" 

As  the  years  passed  on  in  the  life  of  Henry  and  Mary 
Woodman  the  little  Woodmans  came  at  intervals  until  seven 
olive  branches  had  grown  up  around  the  parent  tree.  They 
were  as  follows: 

Benjamin  Smith  Woodman,  born  8th  month,  22nd,  1828. 

Edward  Woodman,  born  8th  month,  19th,  1830 ;  died  aged 
21  years,  a  young  man  of  great  promise. 

Mary  Smith  Woodman,  born  3rd  month,  29th,  1833.  [The 
only  daughter  and  authoress  of  this  delightful  sketch  of  her 
father,  still  living  on  the  homestead  near  Wycombe,  Bucks 
County.] 

Henry  Woodman,  Jr.,  born  8th  month,  16th,  1835;  died 
in  Morrisville,  Pa.,  on  3rd  month,  7th,  1905. 

William  Woodman,  born  7th  month,  24th,  1838. 

Comly  Woodman,  born  12th  month,  30th,  1840. 

Wilson  Moore  Woodman,  born  10th  month,  3rd,  1845.  [His 
daughter,  Alice  Woodman  Smith,  being  the  connecting  link 
between  the  Woodmans  and  the  publisher  of  this  book.] 

THE  CLOSE  OF  DAY 

Henry  and  Mary  Woodman  continued  to  live  on  the  Smith 
homestead  in  the  same  house  fifty-two  consecutive  years, 
dating  from  their  marriage  in  1827.  On  Christmas  eve  1879 
Henry  died,  aged  84  years.  He  outlived  his  father  fifty-seven 
years  and  was  the  last  survivor  of  the  Valley  household. 
When  Father  was  about  75  years  old  his  mind  gave  evidence 
of  failure,  which  gradually  increased.  Had  it  not  been  for  an 
accident  that  occurred  in  1873,  he  could  have  retained  his 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  23 

faculties  in  good  degree  until  death.  An  afternoon  in  Au 
gust,  when  bringing  the  cows  from  pasture,  the  male  attacked 
him.  He  recovered  from  his  wounds,  but  his  head  was  so 
severely  injured  that  his  mind  was  lost  to  nearly  everything 
he  had  previously  known.  Still  much  of  the  reverent  and 
spiritual  part  of  his  nature  remained.  A  friend  said  of 
him :  "As  he  lived  so  he  died,  serving  the  Lord,  and  in  his  old 
age  was  not  forsaken." 

On  the  fourth  day  following  his  death  after  a  silence  at 
home  we  with  a  few  particular  friends  proceeded  to  Wrights- 
town  Meeting-house  and  found  it  filled  with  people.  Elizabeth 
Hicks  Plummer  gave  expression  to  her  feeling  in  a  beauti 
ful  sermon.  When  all  had  taken  a  last  look  of  him  who  had 
lived  fifty-two  years  in  their  midst,  he  was  laid  in  the  spot 
he  many  years  before  had  chosen. 

The  Homestead 

near 

Wycombe,  Bucks  Co.,  Pa. 

May  twentieth,  nineteen  hundred  and  seven. 

Aged  seventy-four 


HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

BY  HENRY  WOODMAN 

LETTER  I 
AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION 

HERE  are  some  places  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania 
which  ought  to  claim  a  conspicuous  place  in  its 
history,  as  they  have  been  rendered  memorable 
on  account  of  their  connection  with  that  eventful 
time  when  these  colonies  were  contending  for 
their  freedom  from  foreign  oppression,  and  which  resulted  in 
the  overthrow  of  British  authority,  and  the  final  establish 
ment  of  our  present  free  independent  government.  While  it 
is  admitted  that  there  are  many  of  sufficient  notoriety  to 
claim  a  place  in  the  historian's  page,  there  are  few,  if  any, 
that  have  rendered  themselves  more  worthy  of  this  favor 
than  the  Valley  Forge.  Not  that  any  splendid  victories  were 
there  achieved  for  no  engagements  with  the  enemy  took  place 
there;  the  confused  noise  of  the  battle  of  the  warrior  was 
not  heard  there;  neither  were  carnage  and  garments  rolled 
in  the  blood  of  the  slain  beheld  in  its  borders.  But  it  was 
there  that  Washington  with  his  destitute  and  suffering  army, 
towards  the  close  of  the  year  1777,  and  in  one  of  the  most 
gloomy  seasons  of  the  Revolution,  took  up  his  winter  quarters 
and  suffered  for  a  period  of  near  seven  months,  the  most  se 
vere  privations  and  hardships.  There,  but  partially  sheltered 
by  miserable  huts  from  the  inclemency  of  a  severe  and  pro 
tracted  winter,  and  almost  destitute  of  clothing  and  pro 
visions,  sustained  by  principles  of  the  purest  patriotism,  they 
patiently  endured  their  sufferings  with  true  magnanimity, 
constancy  and  patient  resignation,  supported  by  the  hope  of 
ultimately  obtaining  the  independence  of  their  country,  and 
enjoying  the  inalienable  rights  of  men. 

To  preserve  an  account  of  these  incidents  connected  with 
that  interesting  period,  as  well  as  some  other  matters  relating 
to  that  place  and  the  surrounding  country,  is  the  object  of 
the  present  and  succeeding  communications.  I  was  born  and 
raised  in  the  vicinity  of  the  place,  and  within  the  lines  of  the 
encampment  where  many  of  its  traces  were,  and  still  (1850) 
are  visible ;  and  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  neighborhood 
had  been  witnesses  of  that  interesting  and  deeply  trying  time, 
from  whom  I  received  an  account  of  the  principal  events 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  25 

that  shall  hereafter  be  noticed — particularly  those  that  relate 
to  the  period  of  the  Revolution.  Among  those  from  whom 
this  information  has  been  derived  were  my  parents;  and  it 
was  from  their  lips  I  have  heard  the  greater  part  of  it.  My 
father  was  a  soldier  during  the  Revolution,  and  was  one  of 
the  number  encamped  there;  he  belonged  to  the  North  Caro 
lina  line,  which  constituted  Washington's  life  guard,  and  was, 
as  he  informed  me,  in  twelve  general  engagements.  My 
mother,  at  the  time  of  the  encampment  at  Valley  Forge,  was 
in  the  nineteenth  year  of  her  age,  and  resided  with  her  father, 
whose  farm  was  situated  within  the  limits  of  the  encamp 
ment,  and  was  the  resort  of  numerous  American  officers, 
thus  affording  its  inmates,  from  actual  knowledge  and  ob 
servation,  an  intimate  acquaintance  of  the  passing  events  that 
were  transpiring  around  them. 

Often,  in  the  days  of  my  childhood,  have  I  listened  with 
deep  interest  to  the  simple  unvarnished  relations  of  that 
period,  as  they  have  fallen  from  the  lips  of  my  parents, 
when  assembled  around  the  fireside,  of  long  winter  evenings, 
sometimes  in  company  with  some  of  the  neighbors,  who  had 
witnessed  the  same  things;  but  oftener  in  company  with 
strangers,  and  younger  people,  who  felt  desirous  to  hear  the 
recital  of  these  things,  and  the  facts  they  had  witnessed,  re 
lated  by  them.  Their  social  disposition  and  happy  faculty 
of  communicating  these  narratives  rendered  their  company 
particularly  interesting  and  agreeable.  I  shall  never  forget 
the  time,  when  in  early  youth,  I  used  to  accompany  my 
father  and  traverse  the  ground  of  the  encampment,  where  the 
foundations  of  the  huts,  the  fortifications  and  breastworks 
were  still  visible;  and  have  heard  him,  while  pointing  out 
some  particular  objects  and  explaining  their  uses  or  purposes, 
relate  the  suffering  of  that  Spartan  Band,  and  not  only  there, 
but  durmg  their  severe  struggle  to  accomplish  our  freedom. 
Impressions  were  then  made  upon  my  mind  that,  while  reason 
retains  her  seat,  I  trust  will  never  be  effaced,  even  at  that 
time  feeling  desirous  that  our  freedom  and  free  institutions 
might  be  perpetuated  to  the  latest  posterity,  and  that  the  evils 
of  war  might  never  again  be  found  in  our  borders.  And  al 
though  I  have  since  lived  to  see  the  inconsistency  of  wars  and 
fighting  with  the  peaceful  religion  of  Him  who  emphatically 
declared  that  his  "Kingdom  was  not  of  this  world,"  yet  I 
believe  that  a  narration  of  some  facts  connected  with  that 
era  in  the  Revolution,  taken  in  contrast  with  our  present 
happy,  peaceable  and  prosperous  condition,  may  not  only  be 
interesting  but  have  a  tendency  to  raise  in  the  minds  of  the 
present  generation  a  grateful  sense  of  the  blessings  we  now 
enjoy,  and  to  incite  them  not  to  deeds  of  war  or  to  raise  a 
thirst  for  military  renown,  but  to  use  every  exertion  on  our 


26  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

part  to  preserve  pure  and  unsullied  to  generations  yet  unborn, 
the  inestimable  blessings  of  peace,  liberty,  freedom,  and  self- 
government,  which  we,  through  the  patriotism,  perservance 
and  patient  sufferings  of  our  ancestors,  are  now  in  posses 
sion  of. 

What  can  be  better  calculated  to  call  the  attention  of  the 
present  generation,  who  are  now  engaged  in  active  duties  of 
life,  and  also  the  rising  youth,  who,  in  the  revolving  round  of 
a  few  more  years,  must  be  the  future  guardians  of  our  coun 
try,  than  to  remind  them  of  the  difficulties,  dangers  and  hard 
ships  of  various  kinds  that  were  surmounted  by  their  prede 
cessors  in  the  accomplishment  of  our  freedom,  and  also  plac 
ing  us  in  possession  of  the  liberty  and  free  system  of  govern 
ment  we  now  enjoy? 

Actuated  by  motives  of  this  nature,  I  have  been  induced  to 
present  to  the  public,  through  the  medium  of  some  of  the  public 
papers  of  the  County  of  Bucks,  to  commence  a  series  of  let 
ters,  giving  an  account  of  Valley  Forge,  a  place,  as  already 
mentioned,  that  has  rendered  itself  conspicuous  on  account  of 
its  connection  with  the  Revolutionary  War;  for  here  it  was 
that  during  its  darkest  days,  and  after  the  successive  de 
feats  of  Brandywine  and  Germantown  and  the  massacre  of 
Paoli  and  the  possession  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia  by  the 
enemy,  that  a  part  of  the  army,  with  the  commander-in-chief , 
retired  into  winter  quarters  under  the  most  gloomy  prospects. 

In  presenting  this  series  of  letters  to  the  people  of  my 
adopted  county  of  Bucks  and  the  public  generally,  it  is  not 
my  intention  to  confine  myself  exclusively  to  the  period  of  the 
Revolution,  but  I  shall  refer  to  the  early  settlement  of  the 
place  and  continue  its  history  down  to  the  present  time. 
Neither  shall  I  limit  myself  to  that  portion  of  country  orig 
inally  embraced  in  the  Valley  Forge  tract,  but  shall  extend 
the  account  to  portions  of  country  surrounding  it  in  every 
direction,  the  most  of  which  was  the  scene  of  some  interesting 
events  during  the  Revolution. 


BEFORE  THE  ENCAMPMENT 

LETTER  II 
VALLEY  FORGE  IN  1850 

|HE  Valley  Forge  is  situated  on  the  western  side  of 
the  River  Schuylkill,  about  twenty-two  miles 
from  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  in  the  counties  of 
Chester  and  Montgomery.  The  village  bearing 
the  name  of  Valley  Forge  contains  (1850)  about 
forty  houses,  with  a  large  cotton  factory,  a  grist  mill,  and 
numerous  other  buildings;  these  lie  on  a  stream  of  water 
called  the  Valley  Creek,  which  forms  the  dividing  line  between 
the  two  counties,  that  part  lying  on  the  eastern  side  being 
in  Montgomery,  and  that  on  the  western  in  Chester  county.  The 
water  power  for  driving  the  machinery  is  probably  not  excel 
led  by  any  other  in  Pennsylvania,  as  the  stream  passes  be 
tween  two  abrupt  hills  from  the  fertile  regions  of  the  great 
valley,  a  distance  of  more  than  a  mile,  to  the  village,  near 
which  place  these  hills,  or  as  they  are  more  familiarly  called, 
Mount  Joy  and  Mount  Misery,  have  their  northern  termintion, 
at  which  place  a  large  dam  of  more  than  twenty  feet  in  height, 
has  been  constructed,  which  affords,  in  the  driest  seasons,  a 
sufficiency  of  water  to  continue  the  manufacturing  business  in 
full  operation.  A  public  road  from  the  city  of  Philadelphia 
to  this  place,  called  the  Gulf  road,  originally  terminated  here. 
Another  road  from  Phoenixville,  Yellow  Springs,  Morgan- 
town,  Reading,  and  many  other  places,  commences  at  the  ter 
mination  of  the  Gulf  road,  at  the  county  line,  and  called  Nutt's 
road,  taking  its  name  from  a  certain  Samuel  Nutt,  who  owned 
extensively  at  Phoenixville,  in  Chester  county,  more  than  a 
hundred  years  ago.  Another  has  within  a  few  years  been  laid 
out  from  the  place  to  the  Lancaster  turnpike,  following  the 
course  of  the  dam  through  the  county  of  Montgomery,  but  as 
I  have  never  travelled  it,  I  cannot  say  where  it  terminates. 
About  half  a  mile  east  of  the  village,  the  Gulf  road  is  inter 
sected  by  a  road  originally  leading  to  the  old  Lancaster  road, 
by  way  of  the  Valley  Baptist  Meeting  House,  and  has  been 
called  the  Baptist  road,  or  Valley  road.  One  thing  a  little  re 
markable  is,  that,  though  in  a  public  place,  with  the  Reading 
railroad  passing  through  a  part  of  the  property,  there  has 
never  been  a  hotel  or  tavern  in  the  village. 

As  we  approach  the  place  on  the  eastern  side  by  the  Gulf 
road,  as  we  ascend  the  top  of  the  hill,  a  little  north  of  the  in 
tersection  of  the  Baptist  road,  the  beautiful  river  Schuylkill 


28  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

bursts  full  upon  the  view,  and  in  a  line  between  the  observer 
and  the  river,  is  seen  the  original  mansion  where  General 
Washington  had  his  headquarters  during  the  encampment  in 
the  winter  of  1777  and  78.  After  descending  by  a  somewhat 
meandering  road,  we  arrive  at  the  Valley  Forge,  or  rather  the 
village  bearing  that  name,  the  purpose  of  its  original  construc 
tion  has  long  since  abandoned,  not  having  been  used  for  the 
manufacturing  of  bar  iron  from  pigs  for  more  than  sixty 
years. 

ORIGINAL  SETTLEMENT  AND  THE  FORGE 

Concerning  its  original  settlement  I  am  not  in  the  posses 
sion  of  any  documents  calculated  to  throw  much  light,  or  to 
afford  correct  or  authentic  information  on  the  subject.  I  shall, 
therefore,  rely  on  the  accounts  I  have  received  from  aged  per 
sons,  all  of  whom  have  now  descended  to  the  grave — together 
with  such  facts  as  I  have  been  able  to  collect  from  the  old  title 
deeds  that  I  have  had  occasion  to  examine  when  engaged  in  sur 
veying  property  contained  in  the  original  tract;  but  as  more 
than  twenty-two  years  have  elapsed  since  that  period,  and  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  I  have  been  a  resident  of  this  county 
(Bucks),  and  not  having  it  in  my  power  to  make  further  in 
vestigations  on  this  head,  the  information  on  this  point  will 
be  concise  and  furnished  only  from  recollection. 

The  original  tract,  containing  upwards  of  two  thousand 
acres,  was  taken  by  Evan  ap  Bevan,  a  native  of  Radnorshire, 
in  the  Principality  of  Wales,  about  the  year  1686.  Whether  he 
emigrated  to  the  country  or  not,  I  cannot  say  with  certainty; 
but,  from  having  seen  his  name  in  certain  title  deeds,  I  have 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  he  must  have  resided  for  several 
of  the  last  years  of  his  life  in  this,  then  province  of  Pennsyl 
vania.  One  thing  is  certain,  that  he  was  the  original  ancestor 
of  the  Stephens  family,  since  very  numerous  in  that  part  of  the 
country,  and  some  branches  of  the  family  now  in  possession 
of  a  part  of  other  lands  granted  to  him  about  one  hundred 
and  sixty-four  years  ago.  I  have  always  understood  that  this 
was  the  first  forge  for  the  manufactory  of  iron  in  the  Pro 
vince,  and  was  first  commenced  by  Stephen  Evans,  a  son  of 
the  aforesaid  Evans  ap  Bevan  (he,  according  to  the  usage  and 
custom  of  the  Welsh,  taking  his  father's  first  name)  and  Lewis 
Walker,  a  son  of  Isaac,  the  original  ancestor  of  the  Walker 
family,  since  and  at  this  time,  composing  a  numerous  and  re 
spectable  portion  of  the  inhabitants  of  that  portion  of  country ; 
some  of  them  now  being  in  possession  of  the  original  portion 
of  land  granted  to  him  by  the  proprietor  in  the  year  1684.  Of 
both  these  families  I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  more  fully 
in  some  of  my  future  communications.  At  what  time  they 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  29 

commenced  business  I  cannot  say  with  certainty,  but  I  have  un 
derstood,  from  correct  authority  that,  owing  to  some  mistake 
between  them,  together  with  their  ignorance  of  the  business,  it 
did  not  result  to  the  advantage  of  the  parties,  and  in  a  few 
years  after  resulted  in  a  dissolution  of  the  firm,  and  after  sev 
eral  years  of  litigation,  the  property  was  sold  to  a  certain  John 
Potts  of  Burlington,  in  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  and  a  large 
speculator  in  iron  works  in  different  parts  of  Pennsylvania. 

This  sale  to  John  Potts  took  place  about  the  year  1719,  in 
whose  family  it  remained  until  1806.  He  was  the  grandfather 
of  David  and  Isaac  Potts,  who  owned  the  property  at  the  time 
of  the  encampment  at  that  place.  During  the  time  the  prop 
erty  was  owned  by  different  members  of  the  Potts  family, 
nothing  remarkable  occurred  at  that  time;  they  continued  to 
pursue  the  even  tenor  of  their  way,  diligently  engaged  in  the 
manufactory  of  bar  iron,  and  increasing  in  wealth  and  num 
bers,  extended  the  business  to  other  parts  of  the  State.  They 
were  very  patrician  in  their  habits.  They  founded  Pottsgrove, 
now  Pottstown,  on  the  Schuylkill,  in  the  county  of  Montgom 
ery,  about  twenty-two  miles  from  Norristown,  where  many 
members  of  the  family  still  continue  to  reside,  pursuing  their 
former  occupations.  The  iron  business  was  carried  on  by  dif 
ferent  members  of  the  family  at  the  Valley  Forge,  until  the 
time  of  the  encampment  during  the  Revolution,  when  the 
scenes  in  connection  with  that  event,  and  the  destruction  of 
the  property  attendant  thereon,  and  the  unsettled  state  of  the 
country  during  that  period,  for  awhile  put  an  end  to  their 
operations. 

In  my  next  letter  I  shall  advert  to  the  causes  that  produced 
these  effects.  There  are  no  doubt  many  who  know  of  the  en 
campment,  the  burning  of  the  Valley  Forge  by  the  British,  and 
other  circumstances  in  relation  to  that,  to  whom  details  of 
these  things  may  be  interesting.  I  shall  therefore  endeavor 
to  lay  them  before  my  readers  in  a  clear  and  distinct  manner, 
and  as  much  as  possible  in  the  order  of  time  in  which  they  oc 
curred,  as  I  have  often  heard  them  related  by  those  who  had 
an  opportunity  of  an  experimental  knowledge  of  these  things. 


LETTER  III 
A  DEPOSITORY  OF  MILITARY  STORES 

|N  MY  last  it  was  mentioned,  that  during  a  part  of 
the  Revolution,  owning  to  the  destruction  of  prop 
erty  and  other  causes,  the  manufactory  of  iron  at 
this  place  was  for  a  time  suspended.  This  de- 
Istruction  of  property  was  owing  to  the  burning  of 
the  Valley  Forge,  or  rather  the  buildings  of  all  kinds  connected 
with  the  establishment,  by  a  detachment  of  British  soldiers, 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  Gray ;  the  destroying  of  timber 
necessary  for  manufacturing  purposes  and  the  subsequent 
unsettled  state  of  the  country  during  the  war.  Every  per 
son  who  is  acquainted  with  the  history  of  our  country,  and 
particularly  of  the  Revolution,  knows  that  this  was  indeed  a 
gloomy  period  of  its  existence,  as  some  yet  living  can  testify. 
Struggling  against  an  army  of  superior  numbers,  well  dis 
ciplined  and  well  furnished  with  every  necessary  to  carry  on 
the  war  with  vigor,  in  punishing  and  bringing  into  subjec 
tion  a  people  whom  they  considered  their  rebellious  subjects 
— every  means  was  resorted  to,  to  compel  obedience  to  their 
authority;  and  to  reduce,  and  if  possible,  crush  our  veteran 
troops,  who  were  destitute  of  almost  all  the  necessaries  of 
life,  poorly  fed,  more  poorly  clothed,  and  still  more  poorly 
sheltered  from  the  inclemency  of  the  weather.  I  have  often 
heard  my  father,  who  was  one  of  the  number,  describe  the 
situation  of  himself  and  companions  in  arms,  who  after  a 
fatiguing  and  forced  march  during  an  inclement  day,  many 
of  them  in  this  condition,  suffering  from  cold  and  hunger, 
and  leaving  the  ground  over  which  they  marched,  marked 
with  the  blood  that  flowed  from  their  almost  naked  feet.  In 
this  situation  when  night  had  overtaken  them,  they  have  lain 
down  on  the  bare  ground,  with  no  other  canopy  but  the 
shades  of  night,  with  their  knapsacks  for  pillows;  and  wrap 
ping  themselves  in  their  blankets,  they  have  lain  down,  and 
awoke  covered  with  snow. 

This  was  the  particular  situation  of  our  army  during  the 
years  of  1776  and  1777;  and  it  was  near  the  close  of  the  last 
year,  as  mentioned  in  my  first  letter,  that  part  of  the  army, 
with  the  commander-in-chief,  retired  into  winter  quarters  at 
Valley  Forge.  Every  movement  of  the  Continental  Army  was 
watched  with  the  keenest  scrutiny,  and  such  was  the  unset 
tled  state  of  the  colonists  at  that  period,  that  in  may  places 
the  parties  in  favor  of  one  or  the  other  of  the  contending 
parties  were  so  nearly  balanced,  that  they  might  be  compared 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  31 

to  nicely  adjusted  scales — the  addition  of  a  very  small  mat 
ter  would  cause  one  or  the  other  to  have  the  preponderance. 
Previous  to  the  American  army  encamping  at  the  place,  and 
while  the  possession  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  during  the 
ensuing  winter,  by  either  party  was  uncertain,  the  Valley 
Forge  was  selected  as  a  suitable  place  for  the  depository  of 
the  military  stores,  arms  and  ammunition,  and  the  provisions 
belonging  to  the  continental  army.  The  selection  was  made 
on  account  of  its  secluded  situation  and  distance  from  the 
supposed  route  of  the  British  army  under  General  Howe,  in 
its  march  from  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  to  form  a  junction  with 
Gen.  Burgoyne,  who  with  the  army  under  his  command, 
were  on  their  route  from  Canada  by  way  of  the  Lakes,  to 
get  possession  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia  in  their  march; 
and,  as  it  was  also  believed  by  many,  that  they  had  this 
place  in  view  for  winter  quarters,  in  case  the  enemy  suc 
ceeded  in  getting  possession  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  be 
lieving  the  inhabitants  in  that  section  of  country,  were  less 
loyal  than  in  some  other  places,  and  that  they  generally 
favored  the  American  cause. 

However  correct  this  last  position  may  have  been  in 
general,  and  however  patriotic  the  most  of  them  might  have 
been;  yet  from  this  there  were  some  exceptions.  It  must 
be  acknowledged  that  there  were  some,  though  not  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  place,  or  residing  in  that  portion  of 
the  country  which  I  mean  particularly  to  describe — ready  to 
convey  the  information  to  the  enemy;  and  one,  if  not  more, 
who  acted  as  a  pilot  to  conduct  a  detachment  of  the  British 
army  to  the  place,  who  succeeded  in  destroying  the  most  of 
the  buildings  belonging  to  the  manufacturing  establishment, 
and  such  part  of  the  stores,  arms,  ammunitions,  and  pro 
visions,  as  had  not  been  hastily  removed  to  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river  Schuylkill. 

At  the  time  of  the  conflagration,  the  manufacturing  of 
iron  at  the  place  was  carried  on  by  a  person,  who  will  occupy 
a  conspicuous  place  in  this  account,  named  William  Dewees, 
in  connection  with  some  members  of  the  Potts  family. 
Whether  he  at  this  time  owned  any  part  of  the  real  estate 
or  not,  I  cannot  say.  He  was  then  married  to  his  second 
wife,  his  former  one  having  been  a  Potts;  but  whether  or 
not  a  sister  of  Isaac  and  David  Potts,  mentioned  in  my  last 
letter,  I  have  never  fully  informed  myself.  It  was  in  part 
owing  to  ^  this  marriage  connection  that  William  Dewees,  in 
his  life  time,  founded  a  claim  on  government,  for  damages 
for  losses  sustained  by  the  burning  of  Valley  Forge,  by  the 
British;  and  about  nine  years  after  his  death,  was  success 
fully  prosecuted  by  his  widow  and  some  of  his  heirs ;  which 
I  merely  hint  at  her,  as  I  shall  probably  enter  into  its  details 


32  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

in  some  future  communications.  His  second  wife  was  the 
daughter  of  a  wealthy  and  respectable  inhabitant,  named 
Thomas  Waters,  residing  in  the  Great  Valley,  about  two  miles 
east  of  the  place — of  whom  some  notice  will  be  taken  here 
after. 

William  Dewees  was  at  the  time  a  colonel  of  the  Conti 
nental  militia,  and  served  a  campaign  in  the  field  during  the 
war  of  the  Revolution.  Owing  to  the  commission  and  rank 
he  held  in  the  army,  he  was  rendered  particularly  obnoxious 
to  the  enemy;  and  they,  of  course,  resorted  to  every  means  in 
their  power  to  harass  and,  if  possible,  to  take  him  prisoner. 
On  this  account  the  place  of  depository  for  the  military 
stores  at  Valley  Forge  was  strongly  opposed  by  Col.  Dewees 
(as  he  will  henceforth  be  called)  and  his  wife,  they  being  al 
most  certain  that  the  buildings  would  be  destroyed,  on  ac 
count  of  his  connection  with  the  army,  and  of  course,  it  could 
not  be  a  safe  depository  for  them.  The  sequel  proved  the 
soundness  of  their  views.  In  my  next  I  shall  resume  the 
subject. 


LETTER  IV 

THE  BURNING  OF  THE  VALLEY  FORGE 

DO  NOT  know  the  precise  date  of  the  burning  of 
the  Valley  Forge,  but  it  occurred  during  the  inter 
val  of  time  between  the  battles  of  Brandywine  and 
Germantown,  and  but  a  short  time  previous  to  the 
massacre  at  the  Paoli.  My  mother,  though  not  an 
eye  witness  to  the  scene  or  conflagration,  was  placed  in  a  sit 
uation  on  that  day  which  made  her  a  prominent  character  on 
the  occasion.  She  had  been  on  a  perilous  embassy,  which  hav 
ing  accomplished,  on  her  return  home,  had  to  pass  the  place 
on  that  day,  and  but  a  short  time  previous  to  the  perpetration 
of  the  deed.  Having  in  passing  the  place,  beheld  the  hurry, 
bustle  and  confusion  attending  upon  the  removal  of  the  stores 
belonging  to  the  army  to  the  other  side  of  the  river,  she  often 
used  to  relate  it;  and  from  this  information  I  shall  now  pro 
ceed  to  insert  it  here.  I  consider  the  circumstances  of  this 
journey  of  sufficient  interest  to  claim  a  place  in  this  narrative, 
as  they  will  show  the  present  generation,  now  lolling  in  ease 
and  enjoyment,  the  difficulties  that  had  then  to  be,  through 
necessity,  encountered  often  by  tender  and  delicate  females, 
and  through  how  much  they  sometimes  presevered,  in  order  to 
overcome  them. 

HUNTING  JEHU— TWO  WOMEN  OF  THE 
REVOLUTION 

It  has  been  observed  that  the  Valley  Forge  was  burned  be 
tween  the  battles  of  Brandywine  and  Germantown.  Soon 
after  the  battle  of  Brandywine,  the  sick  and  wounded  were  for 
a  short  time  conveyed  to  Philadelphia,  and  the  American  army 
under  Washington,  was  marched  to  Skippack,  in  the  county  of 
Montgomery.  General  Howe,  with  that  part  of  the  British 
army  under  his  command,  encamped  for  a  few  days  at  the 
house  of  Samuel  Richards,  in  the  Great  Valley,  about  three 
miles  southeast  of  the  Valley  Forge.  Kniphausen,  who  had 
command  of  the  Hessians,  had  his  quarters  at  the  house  of  a 
respectable  German  named  Jacob  Fricke,  on  the  adjoining 
farm.  The  Hessians  during  their  stay  at  the  place  were 
troublesome  neighbors.  They  committed  many  depredations 
and  thefts — entering  with  impunity  into  houses,  taking  every 
thing  valuable  they  could  lay  their  hands  on,  often  jeopardiz 
ing  the  lives,  and  spreading  dismay  among  the  peacable  in 
habitants,  and  rendering  traveling  dangerous  and  almost  im 
practicable. 

It  was  during  this  time  that  my  mother,  then  not  nineteen 
years  of  age,  left  home  in  company  with  her  aunt,  to  go  to 


34  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

the  city  of  Philadelphia,  in  order  to  inquire  among  the  sick 
and  wounded  soldiery  in  the  hospitals  and  infirmaries  where 
they  had  been  removed  after  the  battle  of  Brandywine,  and 
also  among  the  soldiers  quartered  in  the  barracks,  in  order  to 
ascertain  whether  a  soldier,  a  cousin  of  hers,  and  son  of  her 
aunt  in  company  with  her,  had  been  wounded  in  the  engage 
ment  and  removed  there,  as  they  had  received  no  accounts 
from  him  for  some  time  previous,  and  knowing  that  he  had 
been  attached  to  that  part  of  the  army  that  had  been  in  the  en 
gagement,  concluding  that  if  not  to  be  found  in  any  of  these 
places,  he  must  either  have  been  slain  or  taken  prisoner,  or  be 
with  the  main  body  of  the  army,  or  in  some  place  suffering 
want  and  sickness. 

At  that  time  there  were  none  of  the  comfortable  accom 
modations  we  now  possess ;  no  steamboats  passing  swiftly  and 
majestically  upon  the  navigable  rivers;  no  locomotives  with 
their  splendid  traveling  cars  on  finely  graded  railroads,  mov 
ing  with  incredible  velocity  from  place  to  place,  of  which  they 
could  avail  themselves.  They  had  not  at  that  time  the  com 
fortable  sheltered  wagons  or  carriages  of  the  present  day  to 
protect  them  from  the  descending  showers.  Deprived  of  all 
these  advantages  that  we  of  the  present  day  can  enjoy,  solitary 
and  alone  at  this  precarious  time,  these  two  females  undertook 
their  journey  on  horseback,  having  in  their  journey  to  cross 
the  river  Schuylkill,  swelled  by  heavy  rains,  and  over  which 
there  were  at  that  time  no  bridges,  and  the  ferries  destroyed,  to 
check  the  progress  of  the  British  army  in  their  march  to  ob 
tain  possession  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia. 

Their  first  effort  was  to  cross  the  river.  On  arriving  at  the 
old  Swede's  Ford,  they  found  it  too  high  to  ride,  and  no  con 
veniences  in  crossing  over.  They  next  proceeded  down  the 
stream  about  a  mile  to  the  house  of  a  man  named  John  Rambo, 
who,  on  account  of  his  dexterity  in  managing  a  canoe,  was 
called  Canoe  John  Rambo.  He  engaged  to  convey  them  over, 
provided  they  would  sit  in  the  canoe,  in  which  were  placed 
their  saddles  and  baggage,  and  hold  their  horses  by  the  bridles, 
that  they  might  swim  across  the  stream.  To  these  proposals 
they  willingly  acceded,  and  were  conveyed  by  him  kindly  and 
without  charge  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  where  they 
arrived  safe.  He  assisted  them  to  resume  their  journey,  and 
in  the  afternoon  of  the  day  that  they  left  home  they  arrived 
safely  in  the  city.  They  called  upon  a  person  with  whom  they 
were  acquainted,  named  John  Williams,  a  son-in-law  of  the 
aforesaid  Thomas  Waters,  with  whom  they  spent  that  and  the 
succeeding  night.  He  being  a  man  of  some  influence,  he  pro 
cured  an  order  to  enable  them  to  proceed  in  their  search,  and 
volunteered  to  accompany  and  assist  them  in  their  undertak 
ing.  A  day  and  a  half  were  spent  in  fruitless  search  through 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  35 

the  hospitals,  the  infirmaries  and  barracks.  In  the  course  of 
this  search,  she,  with  her  companions,  were  witnesses  to  many 
appalling  scenes  of  suffering  and  distress,  as  well  as  many 
loathsome  sights  of  the  dead  and  dying,  promiscuously  to 
gether;  some  suffering  from  severe  wounds  and  uttering  dis 
mal  shrieks  and  groans,  surgeons  performing  operations  of 
various  kinds  and  others  suffering  from  recent  amputations 
of  dangerous  kinds,  enough,  as  I  have  often  heard  her  men 
tion,  to  make  the  stoutest  heart  shudder,  and  the  most  cruel 
abhor  the  practice  of  war;  a  full  description  of  which  if  it 
were  necessary,  could  not  be  given  here. 

Not  being  able  to  obtain  the  slightest  information  of  the 
object  of  their  search,  they  concluded  he  must  be  dead,  and 
then  abandoned  all  further  pursuit,  and  prepared  to  return 
home.  Making  a  few  hasty  purchases  of  some  articles  they 
stood  in  need  of,  they  commenced  their  homeward  journey  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  third  day  after  their  departure.  Having 
proceeded  a  few  miles  on  the  road,  and  drawing  near  the  Falls 
of  Schuylkill,  they  saw  at  some  distance  before  them,  a  soldier 
wearing  the  American  uniform.  My  mother  proposed  to  her 
aunt  to  inquire  of  him  concerning  her  son,  but  she  refused, 
saying,  ''I  will  inquire  no  longer — he  is  dead ;  and  it  is  no  use 
to  give  myself  any  further  trouble."  When  they  met,  mother 
cast  her  eyes  upon  him,  and  he  spoke  respectfully.  She  then 
asked  him  whether  he  knew  a  soldier  named  Jehu  Stephens. 
''Yes/'  said  he,  "and  he  is  now  in  that  house  yonder,"  pointing 
to  one  some  distance  before  them  on  the  road ;  "he,  with  many 
others  of  us,  has  been  there  for  some  time,  sick  with  the  camp 
fever;  he  is  now  better,  and  able  to  walk  about.  We  were 
brought  here  before  the  battle  of  Brandywine  for  the  benefit 
of  pure  air  to  facilitate  our  recovery.  If  you  wish  to  see  him, 
I  will  return  with  you  to  the  house."  Their  eyes  filled  with 
tears  of  joy  on  the  discovery,  and  the  soldier  returned  with 
them  to  the  place.  As  soon  as  their  voices  were  heard,  they 
were  recognized  by  him  whom  they  were  seeking,  and  as  soon 
as  the  weak  state  of  his  health  permitted,  he  came  down  stairs 
and  stood  before  them,  pale  and  emaciated,  an  object  suffering 
under  the  effects  of  a  tedious  illness,  often  in  want  of  the  at 
tention  necessary  to  the  afflicted,  for  while  treated  as  kindly  as 
circumstances  would  permit,  yet  such  was  their  peculiar  situa 
tion,  that  things  necessary  for  their  comfortable  provision 
could  not  be  procured.  They  conveyed  him  to  a  tavern  near, 
provided  him  with  a  comfortable  meal,  left  some  things  with 
him  that  he  stood  in  need  of,  and  then  proceeded  on  their 
journey.  As  they  met  with  some  interesting  adventures  on 
their  journey,  and  after  their  arrival  at  home,  they  will  form 
part  of  my  next  letter. 


LETTER  V 

T  THE  conclusion  of  my  last  letter,  our  travelers 
were  about  resuming  their  homeward  journey. 
When  ready  to  leave  the  Falls  of  Schuylkill,  the 
day  was  far  spent,  and  they  had  proceeded  but  a 
little  way  when  night  overtook  them,  and  it  com 
menced  raining.  Proceeding  up  the  Ridge  Road,  not  being 
able  to  cross  the  river,  they  concluded  to  continue  to  Archibald 
Thomson's,  about  a  mile  above  where  Norristown  now  stands. 
At  that  time  there  was  no  town  there ;  the  only  house  on  the 
present  site  of  the  town,  was  that  of  John  Bull,  who  owned  the 
greater  part  of  the  land  on  which  Norristown  is  now  built. 
This  house  was  near  Stony  Creek  bridge,  in  the  upper  end  of 
the  town ;  the  next  house  below,  was  immediately  opposite  the 
old  Swedes  Ford,  more  than  a  mile  distant.  The  town  now 
(1850)  contains  more  than  seven  thousand  inhabitants — such 
has  been  the  rapid  increase  and  march  of  improvement  since 
that  period.  They  kept  on  their  journey  through  the  rain. 
When  they  arrived  at  Thomson's,  they  found  the  house  empty, 
with  the  exception  of  a  black  man,  who  was  left  to  take  care 
of  the  premises.  Thomson  being  an  officer  in  the  army,  fled 
with  his  family  for  fear  of  the  British,  who,  in  a  few  days 
after,  burned  the  buildings  on  his  place,  and  also  the  barn  of 
John  Bull  on  Stony  Creek;  although  his  name  partook  of 
loyalty,  he  was  in  principle  opposed  to  it,  being  a  staunch  Re 
publican. 

Not  thinking  it  safe  to  continue  there,  and  not  finding 
quarters  as  expected,  they  proceeded  on  to  Henry  Pawling's, 
at  Pawling's  Ford,  on  the  Schuylkill,  about  six  miles  farther 
up,  where  they  arrived  about  midnight.  Riding  up  to  the 
house,  my  mother  called  out  to  some  of  the  inmates  to  arise; 
her  voice  was  heard  and  recognized  by  Nathan  Pawling 
(afterwards  sheriff  of  Montgomery  county),  who,  alarmed  at 
her  arriving  there  at  that  time  of  the  night,  hastily  cried  out, 
"What  is  the  matter,  Sarah,  that  you  come  here  at  this  time  of 
night?"  She  told  him  to  arise,  let  them  in,  and  take  care  of 
their  horses,  and  she  would  let  him  know.  This  request  was 
soon  willingly  complied  with ;  and,  other  members  of  the  fam 
ily  arising,  they  were  soon  comfortably  supplied  with  such 
things  as  they  stood  in  need  of,  in  their  tired  situation. 

Here  they  learned  the  disturbed  state  of  things  at  Valley 
Forge,  which  was  situate  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river, 
and  from  which  place  they  were  then  removing  the  stores 
on  temporary  rafts,  constructed  for  the  purpose,  as  expediti- 
ously  as  possible,  across  the  river,  expecting  an  immediate 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  37 

attack  from  the  enemy ;  this  caused  much  fear  and  consterna 
tion  among  the  people,  and  may  account  for  the  surprise  oc 
casioned  by  the  arrival  of  two  females  at  midnight,  from  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  from  the  scene  of  confusion  and 
fear. 

The  following  morning  the  rain  had  ceased  and  the  weather 
was  clear  and  serene;  but  all  was  hurry  and  confusion,  occa 
sioned  by  removing  property  from  Valley  Forge.  Upon  one 
of  the  rafts  constructed  for  the  occasion,  they  were  ferried 
over  and  safely  landed  on  their  own  side  of  the  water,  not 
more  than  two  miles  from  home.  Soon  after  they  crossed  over, 
they  saw  Col.  Dewees  hurrying  to  cross  over  the  river,  momen 
tarily  expecting  the  enemy;  and  Col.  Lee,  who  was  stationed 
here  to  guard  the  stores,  in  company  with  Col.  Hamilton, 
busily  engaged  in  moving  them  away. 

Passing  on  their  journey  towards  home,  near  the  foot  of 
the  hill  mentioned  in  my  second  letter,  at  the  junction  of  the 
Gulf  and  Baptist  roads,  [where  the  old  school-house  stands- 
Ed.]  hearing  a  noise  in  the  woods  on  their  right,  my  mother 
looking  in  that  direction,  saw  coming  toward  them  a  body  of 
British  cavalry,  moving  in  the  most  perfect  order,  their  horses 
being  so  trained  that  they  made  but  little  noise  in  their  march. 
In  their  front,  in  company  with  an  officer,  rode  a  guide  or  pilot, 
whom  she  knew,  but  who  shall  in  this  description  be  nameless ; 
one  who,  if  report  be  true,  was  often  engaged  in  similar  ex 
peditions  during  the  war.  They  passed  on  without  noticing  or 
molesting  them,  except  that  an  officer  left  his  station,  rode  up 
to  them,  and  inquired  of  them  whether  they  had  been  at  Valley 
Forge  and  seen  Col.  Dewees?  and  whether  they  were  removing 
the  military  stores?  Receiving  from  her  an  affirmative  an 
swer,  he  took  his  leave  and  resumed  his  station  in  the  com 
pany,  who  proceeded  on  to  the  river,  but  not  by  the  direct  road, 
and  found  Col.  Dewees  on  a  raft,  crossing  over  to  the  other 
side  of  the  river.  They  fired  upon  him,  killed  the  Colonel's 
horse,  but  did  no  further  injury  to  any  of  the  company.  Cols. 
Lee  and  Hamilton  each  made  a  hasty  retreat  from  the  place, 
in  different  directions;  and  the  men  engaged  on  the  occasion 
precipitately  fled  from  the  enemy  when  they  saw  them  ap 
proaching.  Some  carbines  were  fired  after  them,  but  none 
took  any  effect.  The  place  being  thus  left  to  the  mercy  of 
the  enemy,  they  set  fire  to  the  buildings  in  which  the  stores 
were  deposited,  the  forge  and  all  the  buildings  appertaining 
to  it,  all  of  which  with  their  contents  were  destroyed. 

While  these  things  were  in  progress  at  Valley  Forge,  our 
travelers  arrived  safely  at  home,  fondly  hoping  that  their 
perils  were  at  an  end.  But  this  hope  was  short  lived,  for  in  a 
few  minutes  after  their  arrival,  three  Hessians  armed  with 
daggers,  were  seen  approaching  the  house,  which  they  soon  en- 


38  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

tered,  and  began  to  plunder  of  whatever  valuable  things  they 
could  lay  hold  of.  In  my  next,  I  shall  give  a  detail  of  this  un 
ceremonious  visit.  In  the  residue  of  this  I  shall  confine  my 
self  to  such  matters  as  relate  (as  my  mother  called  it)  to  her 
journey  "to  hunt  Jehu." 

One  of  the  Hessians  saw  their  saddles,  which,  upon  being 
taken  off  the  horses,  were  placed  in  the  sun  to  dry,  He  in 
quired  in  broken  English,  whose  they  were;  she  replied, 
"Mine."  He  then  drew  his  dagger  and  exclaimed  in  a  rage, 
as  nearly  as  could  be  understood:  "You  rebel,  you  have  been 
to  see  Washington !"  but  offered  no  further  signs  of  violence. 
Some  little  time  after  they  withdrew,  she  heard  the  sound  of 
military  music,  and  looking  in  the  direction  from  whence  it 
came,  saw  a  large  number  of  British  soldiers  approaching  the 
house.  When  they  came  opposite,  they  made  a  halt,  and  an 
officer  came  to  her  and  inquired  whether  Thomas  Waters  lived 
there ;  she  said,  "No."  His  next  inquiry  was  where  he  lived ; 
she  pointed  to  the  place,  it  being  the  next  farm.  He  then  asked 
if  she  would  sell  him  a  loaf  of  bread ;  she  told  him  she  would, 
and  then  brought  him  one.  "Look  at  me,"  said  he,  "that  you 
may  know  me  again.  After  we  go  to  Thomas  Waters's,  we  will 
come  back  and  I  will  pay  you.  We  expect  to  encamp  there  for 
the  night,  and  return  this  way."  He  then  joined  the  company, 
who  proceeded  on  their  march ;  but  he  never  came  back  to  pay 
for  the  loaf  of  bread;  and  she,  with  the  rest  of  the  family, 
were  glad  to  escape  with  no  greater  loss. 

Thus  ended  the  four  eventful  days  of  my  mother 's  journey 
to  hunt  Jehu.  To  some  these  things  may  seem  a  fiction;  but 
it  is  nevertheless  an  unvarnished  truth ;  and  there  are  now  liv 
ing  in  the  borough  of  Doylestown  several  persons  of  respect 
ability  who  have  heard  her  relate  the  circumstances  mentioned 
in  this  narrative,  particularly  the  account  of  her  journey. 

It  may  not  be  improper  to  state  in  this  place,  in  relation 
to  the  burning  of  the  Valley  Forge,  Colonel  Caleb  North,  since 
Sheriff  of  the  city  and  county  of  Philadelphia,  informed  me 
thirty-nine  years  after  the  event,  that  he  saw  the  conflagration 
from  the  top  of  Mt.  Joy,  near  the  place.  He,  in  company  with 
Colonel  Alexander  Hamilton,  had  been  sent  to  the  place — 
Hamilton  to  join  Lee  in  the  removal  of  the  stores,  and  he,  to 
watch  incognito  the  movements  of  the  British  army  in  the 
neighborhood. 

In  my  next  I  shall  give  an  account  more  fully  of  the  Hes 
sians'  visit  to  my  grandfather's,  and  the  sequel  of  the  march 
of  the  British  to  Thomas  Waters's,  who  was  marked  as  one  of 
their  objects  of  persecution,  on  account  of  his  being  father-in- 
law  to  Colonel  Dewees,  whose  family  were  at  this  time  at  the 
place. 


QUARTERS  OF  WHEEDON  AND  OF  DEKALB 

home  of  Abijah  Stephens,  original  house  razed  and  present 
built  by  Stephens  in  1811  and  recently  improved  by  Com 
missioner  John  R.  K.  Scott  as  his  summer  residence.  See 
pages  49,  57-58,  66-67,  71-72,  121-122. 


The  birthplace  of  the  author,  Henry  Woodman.  Now  the 
home  of  Wm.  Foterall,  on  the  south  side  of  Trout  Creek,  on 
the  road  from  Port  Kennedy  to  King-of-Prussia.  See  pages 
19  and  163-164. 


Old  School  House  built  by  Letitia  Perm  in  1705  and  occupied 
by  the  Continental  Army  as  a  Hospital  during  the  Winter 
of  1777-1778.  Repaired  1907.  Valley  Forge  Park,  Pa. 


Interior  of  the  Old  Camp  School  House.  Here  the  author 
attended  school,  and  from  here  his  History  of  Valley  Forge 
goes  forth. 


LETTER  VI 

UNCEREMONIOUS  VISIT  OF  THE  HESSIANS 

AVING  promised  my  readers  to  give  a  more  full 
detail  of  the  unceremonious  visit  of  the  Hessians 
to  my  grandfather's  family,  I  now  enter  upon  that 
duty.  When  they  saw  them  coming  to  the  house, 
there  were  several  men  sitting  on  seats  at  the 
front  door,  enough  at  least,  to  have  prevented  their  doing 
much  damage;  but  thinking  self-preservation  the  first  law  of 
nature,  they  all  fled  in  different  directions,  except  my  grand 
father  and  his  only  son,  the  late  Stephen  Stephens,  deceased 
between  four  and  five  years  since,  a  man  since  well  known  to 
many  persons  in  this  county,  a  lad  then  about  thirteen  years 
of  age.  They  sat  still  to  abide  the  consequences  that  might 
befall  them.  Among  those  who  fled  for  safety  was  a  chaplain 
to  the  American  army,  belonging  to  Mifflin's  division,  named 
William  Rogers,  a  Baptist  clergyman,  and  afterwards,  for 
many  years,  professor  of  rhetoric  and  belles-letters  in  the  Uni 
versity  of  Pennsylvania.  Knowing  that  his  dress  would  be 
tray  him  as  belonging  to  the  army,  he  ran  into  the  house, 
handed  my  mother  his  coat  and  a  valuable  gold  watch  to  take 
care  of  until  he  should  come  back,  then  ran  and  hid  himself 
under  an  open  ended  hogshead  in  the  cellar  (as  he  many  years 
after  informed  me).  She  took  the  watch  and  hastened  with  it 
up  stairs,  locked  it  in  a  drawer,  and  took  the  coat  to  a  bunch 
of  bushes  near  the  house,  and  hid  it  among  them. 

When  the  Hessians  arrived,  one  of  them  seized  my  grand 
father  by  the  collar,  drew  his  dagger,  and  robbed  him  of  a 
watch  that  was  in  his  pocket,  and  then  proceeded  into  the 
house.  His  mother,  an  old  woman,  and  who  from  a  paralytic 
stroke  was  completely  prostrated,  both  in  mind  and  body,  and 
totally  incapable  of  helping  herself,  sat  tied  in  an  arm  chair 
(one  that  I  think  is  still  in  possession  of  our  family) . 

However  disposed  to  treat  other  members  of  the  family,  if 
not  with  rudeness,  it  was  far  from  civility  and  politeness ;  they 
each,  as  they  passed  her,  took  her  affectionately  by  the  hand, 
and  in  their  broken  language  called  her  mother,  and  appeared 
to  reverence  old  age.  They  next  proceeded  upstairs,  and  com 
menced  breaking  open  the  drawers  and  cupboards,  rifling 
them  of  their  contents,  and  taking  whatever  they  considered 
of  sufficient  value  to  carry  off.  The  first  thing  of  value  that 
attracted  their  attention  was  the  chaplain's  gold  watch,  which 
they  secured  and  carried  off  in  triumph.  His  coat  remained 
unobserved  in  the  bushes,  and  so  might  his  watch  if  it  had 


40  THE  HISTORY  OP  VALLEY  FORGE 

been  placed  in  one  of  the  pockets  and  hid  with  it,  or  have  been 
left  by  him,  as  he  was  not  discovered. 

Among  other  things  found  in  ransacking  the  drawers 
were  a  number  of  cartridges,  that  had  been  found  by  the  lad 
above  mentioned,  a  few  days  before,  and  placed  in  the  drawer, 
without  suspecting  any  evil  consequences  would  arise  from 
this  simple  circumstance.  Finding  these  so  enraged  the  plun 
derers,  who  suspected  from  this  trifling  affair  that  they  were 
connected  with  the  army,  that  they  became  so  turbulent  that 
fears  for  their  safety  were  strongly  apprehended,  the  family 
believing  they  would  proceed  to  violent  measures.  Some  ex 
planation  being  made,  and  finding  nothing  further  to  confirm 
their  suspicions  they  soon  became  quiet  and  offered  no  further 
violence  to  any. 

Having  seen  the  respect  they  paid  to  the  aged  woman  be 
fore  mentioned,  some  of  the  family  availed  themselves  of  the 
opportunity,  while  the  Hessians  were  upstairs,  of  placing  in 
her  pockets  some  silver  spoons  and  other  small  articles  of 
value,  and  owing  to  this  circumstance  they  escaped  their  no 
tice.  It  was  well  that  she  did  not  understand  their  language 
or  comprehend  their  meaning,  otherwise  she  would,  owing  to 
her  dotage,  by  her  words  and  actions,  expressive  of  her 
anxiety,  have  betrayed  the  secret  of  their  being  secreted  about 
her  person.  After  taking  whatever  they  thought  proper,  and 
among  other  things  the  articles  (consisting  principally  of 
groceries),  which  my  mother  had  purchased  during  her  late 
expedition,  they  departed  from  the  house. 

Crossing  over  a  small  stream  of  water  they  found  sitting, 
under  a  large  walnut  trees  an  old  man,  a  brother  of  my  grand 
father,  generally  known  by  the  name  of  Uncle  Benjamin,  en 
gaged  in  shaving  splints  to  make  baskets,  and  who  had  not 
been  apprised  of  what  was  passing  in  the  house.  Coming  up 
to  him  they  demanded  of  him  whether  he  was  a  rebel  man,  an 
epithet  very  familiar  with  them.  They  received  from  him  a 
very  cool  reception  and  abrupt  answer,  for  being  armed  with 
a  sharp  axe,  and  furnished  with  several  pieces  of  white  oak 
wood  for  making  splints,  about  eight  feet  long,  and  split  into 
pieces  of  sufficient  lightness  to  handle  with  ease,  he  did  not 
fear  them.  Instead  of  answering  them,  he  told  them  to  clear 
out,  or  (to  use  his  own  expression)  he  would  brain  some  of 
them,  at  the  same  time  making  use  of  actions  suitable  to  the 
words.  They  soon  left  him,  either  thinking  him  an  object  not 
worthy  of  their  notice,  or  fearing  a  stroke  from  his  axe.  It 
was  probably  well  that  they  desisted,  as  he  was  of  a  very 
vindictive  spirit  and  given  to  broils  and  fighting,  and  he  might, 
in  all  probability,  have  carried  his  threats  into  execution. 

They  next  preceded  to  Thomas  Waters's,  and  having  plun 
dered  the  house  of  many  valuable  things,  took  a  notion  to 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  41 

feast  upon  some  fowls.  While  in  pursuit  of  them,  some  ran 
under  an  old  smoke-house,  where  one  of  the  pursuers  followed 
them.  Whether  he  succeeded  in  capturing  any  fowls  or  not, 
tradition  does  not  inform  us,  but  they  succeeded  in  finding 
something  of  more  value, — a  large  sum  of  money,  in  coin,  had 
been  secreted  there  to  prevent  its  falling  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.  Haying  succeeded  so  well,  they  proceeded  to  their 
camp,  stopping  at  the  next  farm  above,  and  carrying  from  a 
tree  some  green  persimmons,  a  fruit  at  the  time  not  very 
palatable  to  them. 

There  is  a  circumstance  connected  with  this  account,  I  will 
next  mention  here.  The  large  walnut  tree  alluded  to  is  still 
standing  (1850),  a  few  venerable  elms,  that  escaped  the  rav 
ages  of  that  period,  are  the  only  relics  of  the  Revolution  that 
I  know  of  that  now  remain  on  my  grandfather's  property. 

PHIN'S  FORT 

Neither  can  I  close  this  account  without  introducing  to  the 
notice  of  my  readers,  one,  who  at  the  time  of  the  visit  of  the 
Hessians,  rendered  himself  of  some  notoriety.  I  allude  to  a 
black  man,  a  slave  of  my  grandfather,  named  Phineas,  gener 
ally  called  "Phin,"  for  be  it  known  that  at  the  time  slavery 
existed  in  Pennsylvania,  and  Friends,  of  whom  my  grand 
father  was  one,  as  well  as  others,  held  them  in  unconditional 
servitude.  Phin,  seeing  the  Hessians  coming,  ran  into  the 
house,  took  down  a  long  gun,  which  is  still  in  possession 
of  some  of  the  family,  and  hastily  seizing  some  of  the  ammuni 
tion,  ran  some  distance  to  a  sinking  hole  or  cave,  where  he 
hid  himself  for  several  days,  coming  home  at  night  for  food; 
and,  as  he  said,  determined  to  defend  himself  from  the  enemy. 
The  place  of  his  retreat  was  afterwards  called  by  my  father, 
"Phin's  Fort,"  a  name  it  still  retains  and  may  possibly  for 
some  years  to  come. 

The  detachment  of  British  soldiers,  mentioned  in  my  last, 
proceeded  to  the  farm  of  Thomas  Waters,  took  off  a  large 
quantity  of  hay,  grain,  and  many  other  articles,  drove  off  some 
cattle  and  horses,  and  then  returned  the  same  night  to  their 
camp.  This  was  the  last  time  that  any  of  the  British  or  Hes 
sians  were  on  my  grandfather's  property  in  a  hostile  manner. 

In  my  next  I  shall,  in  addition  to  some  things  growing  out 
of  the  events  mentioned  in  this  letter,  make  some  general  re 
marks,  on  the  state  of  the  times,  and  some  other  matters, 
which  I  trust  will  be  of  interest  to  my  readers. 


LETTER    VII 


GENERAL  OBSERVATIONS 


T  MUST  appear  evident  from  the  foregoing  ac 
counts  that  these  were  truly  troublesome  times. 
As  noticed  in  one  of  my  former  letters,  parties 
were  nearly  balanced.  And  there  were  others  who 
wished  to  assume  a  neutral  position.  The  latter 
though  not  so  much  persecuted  by  the  contending  parties, 
were  subjected  to  requisitions  from  both  armies,  and  found 
their  situation  at  best  a  very  critical  one,  as  much  caution 
was  necessary  to  preserve  a  strict  neutrality,  the  movements 
of  all  were  strictly  watched.  Those  who  adhered  to  the 
crown  were  persecuted  by  the  colonists  and  the  colonial 
army;  and  those  who  were  known  to  be  opposed  to  British 
authority,  and  openly  acknowledged  themselves  in  favor  of 
freedom,  and  especially  those  who  held  commissions  in  the 
army,  or  were  active  in  the  service  of  the  Continental  Con 
gress,  were  marked  as  the  objects  of  revenge  by  the  enemy; 
while  those  who  held  a  neutral  position  and  were  not  active  in 
the  cause  of  freedom,  however  they  might  be  secretly  disposed 
to  favor  it,  if  when  requisitions  for  the  use  of  either  army 
were  made  upon  them,  or  their  houses  were  entered  by  the 
British  soldiery,  if  nothing  was  found  in  their  possession  that 
would  have  a  tendency  to  convict  them  of  any  of  the  rebel 
lious  movements  of  that  day,  they  were  seldom  much  molested. 
But  if  anything,  however  small,  was  found  in  their  houses, 
or  in  their  possession,  it  was  often  the  cause  of  violence  on  the 
part  of  the  enemy.  This  may  account  for  the  rage  of  the  Hes 
sians,  upon  finding  the  cartridges,  as  before  noticed,  in  pos 
session  of  my  grandfather;  and  had  they  upon  that  occasion 
discovered  anything  else  indicative  of  a  hostile  nature,  or  in 
tended  for  hostile  purposes,  their  resentment  might  possibly 
have  known  no  bounds ;  and  serious,  if  not  fatal  consequences 
might  have  followed. 

DEWEE'S  REGALIA 

The  family  was  at  this  time  in  imminent  danger,  though 
entirely  ignorant  of  it.  The  circumstances  were  these:  The 
family  of  Colonel  Dewees  had  left  Valley  Forge,  and  with 
the  most  of  their  furniture,  had  removed  to  his  father-in-law's 
(Thomas  Waters'),  where  his  wife  and  family  for  the  time 
being  professing  to  be  strict  loyalists,  were  staying.  Among 
the  articles  of  furniture  removed  from  Valley  Forge  were  two 
chests  which  the  wife  of  the  Colonel  wished  to  have  kept  at  my 
grandfather's,  she  assuring  them  they  contained  nothing  but 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  43 

some  articles  of  clothing  and  some  other  things,  which  she 
wished  to  have  secured  in  case  of  the  enemy  coming  upon 
them.  My  grandmother,  all  kindness,  consented  to  the  re 
quest,  and  they  were  brought  there.  When  the  Hessians  visited 
the  house,  although  the  chests  were  in  the  house  and  in  one 
of  the  rooms  they  plundered,  yet  they  were  not  broken  open. 
Feeling  uneasy  on  account  of  not  knowing  what  was  in  them, 
on  the  following  day,  my  mother  went  to  Sarah  Dewees,  wife 
of  the  Colonel,  and  requested,  or  rather  demanded  the  keys, 
that  she  might  with  certainty  know  what  was  contained  in 
them;  she  told  her  to  make  herself  perfectly  easy,  as  there 
was  nothing  in  them  that  if  discovered  would  hurt  or  injure 
them.  Being  peremptory  in  her  demand,  the  keys  were  re 
luctantly  delivered  to  her,  and  she  proceeded  to  open  the 
chests,  and  to  her  surprise,  found  they  contained  the  Colonel's 
military  uniform  and  insignias  of  office,  his  sword  and  other 
weapons  worn  by  officers  of  his  rank,  which  if  they  had  been 
discovered,  would  have  produced  much  destruction  of  prop 
erty,  if  not  loss  of  life.  She  immediately  gathered  the  whole 
contents  into  her  arms,  carried  them  to  a  quarry  in  a  coppice 
of  woods  near  the  house  (the  place  can  now  be  pointed  out), 
in  which  she  threw  the  whole  of  them,  and  covering  them 
with  stones, — thus  spoiled  the  Colonel's  hat  and  other  military 
accoutrements.  By  this  disinterested  act  of  kindness,  we  may 
observe  how  narrowly  they  escaped  the  dangers  to  which  they 
were  unsuspectingly  subjected,  and  the  imminent  danger  they 
were  placed  in. 

It  may  be  proper  to  remark  in  justice  to  the  commander 
of  the  British  army,  whose  policy  it  was  to  secure  as  much  as 
possible  the  confidence  of  the  people,  that  these  petty  robberies 
and  depredations  were  not  sanctioned  by  him,  or  committed 
under  his  direction.  They  were  done  by  a  few  Hessians  who 
strolled  from  the  camp,  and  committed  these  acts  on  their  own 
responsibility.  My  grandfather's  family  was  not  a  solitary  in 
stance  of  suffering  from  their  rapacity.  In  their  predatory 
movements,  at  the  time  alluded  to,  they  paid  no  respect  to 
persons,  but  visited  all  families,  and  treated  all  in  the  same  un 
welcome  manner,  taking  everything  of  value  they  could  lay 
hands  upon  and  were  able  to  carry  off,  so  there  were  few, 
if  any  families,  but  suffered  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  from 
their  approximity  to  them.  In  some  cases  they  were  followed 
to  the  camp,  and  upon  being  pointed  out  to  the  superior  offi 
cers,  they  were  punished  and  as  far  as  possible  restoration 
made  of  the  property.  But  few  people  in  the  neighborhood 
availed  themselves  of  that  method;  for  though  the  most  of 
them,  on  account  of  their  religious  principles,  had  assumed 
a  neutral  position,  yet  there  were  few,  if  any,  but  who  were 
heartily  disposed  to  favor  the  cause  of  freedom,  and  opposed 


44  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

to  the  royalist  cause;  and  when  the  British  army  took  from 
the  people  who  were  known  to  be  neither  directly  or  indi 
rectly  concerned  with  the  opposing  party,  any  articles  that 
were  not  necessary  to  the  support  of  their  troops,  restitution 
was  always  promptly  made.  Not  as  was  generally  supposed, 
so  much  from  a  sense  of  honesty,  as  a  desire  to  secure  from 
such  conduct,  the  attachment  and  loyalty  of  the  people. 

HOWE  AND  BURGOYNE 

The  American  army  having  abandoned  the  city  of  Phila 
delphia,  and  removed  their  sick  and  wounded,  the  British  un 
der  command  of  Gen.  Howe,  took  possession  of  it.  The  battle 
of  Germantown  took  place  soon  after,  the  result  of  which  is 
too  well  known  to  be  repeated  here — suffice  it  to  say,  that  in 
that  engagement  Gen.  Nash  was  slain.  It  was  to  his  division 
my  father  belonged ;  he  was  intimately  acquainted  with  the 
General  in  Hillsborough,  North  Carolina,  where  they  both 
resided  previous  to  the  war,  and  always  spoke  of  him  in  terms 
of  the  highest  respect.  He  was  near  him  when  he  fell,  and 
was  among  the  few  others  who  conveyed  his  lifeless  body 
to  the  cemetery  of  Towamencin  Church,  in  Montgomery, 
where  it  is  interred,  and  where  I  have  understood  a  monument 
has  been  erected  to  his  memory.  It  was  near  this  place,  on 
the  heights  of  the  Perkiomen  and  Skippack,  called  the  Matha- 
chen  Hills,  that  Washington  with  his  army  retired  after  the 
engagements,  to  recruit  his  forlorn  and  distressed  soldiers, 
many  of  whom  were  almost  ready  to  give  up  the  cause  of  free 
dom  as  hopeless. 

In  my  next  I  shall  resume  the  subject  and  endeavor  to 
bring  it  up  to  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  the  army  at  Valley 
Forge. 


LETTER    VIII 

THE  close  of  my  last,  we  left  Washington  with 
his  troops  encamped  on  the  Mathachen  Hills,  to 
which  place  he  had  retreated  to  recruit,  as  far  as 
possibly  remained  in  his  power,  the  strength  and 
spirits  of  his  destitute  and  suffering  army.  After 
tarrying  here  a  few  days  and  receiving  some  reinforcements, 
he  marched  back  again  towards  Philadelphia,  to  watch  the 
movements  of  the  enemy,  and  encamped  on  the  heights  of 
Barren  Hill,  in  the  township  of  Whitemarsh,  and  the  Gulf 
Hills,  in  Upper  Merion  township,  Montgomery  County — a 
portion  being  on  both  sides  of  the  river  Schuylkill.  The 
British  fleet  was  at  this  time  trying  to  force  a  passage  up 
the  Delaware  to  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  which  after  six 
weeks  of  fierce  and  determined  opposition,  they  finally  ef 
fected.  While  here  several  small  skirmishes  took  place,  but 
no  decisive  battles  were  fought.  And  it  was  also  while  en 
camped  here  that  two  important  matters  took  place,  which 
I  shall  now  advert  to. 

The  first  was  the  welcome  news  of  the  capture  of  General 
Burgoyne  and  his  army  by  General  Gates,  in  the  state  of 
New  York.  This  news  had  the  tendency  to  raise  the  droop 
ing  spirits  of  the  desponding  army,  though  gloomy  the  pros 
pect  and  trying  the  condition  in  which  they  were  placed  to 
hold  on  and  persevere  in  the  cause  of  freedom  and  inde 
pendence,  under  their  severe  sufferings  and  hardships. 
Previous  to  this  news  reaching  them,  many  of  them  who  were 
persons  of  wealth  and  respectability  who  had  exchanged 
their  comfortable  homes,  their  happy  firesides,  and  their 
plentiful  tables,  for  the  toils,  hardships  and  deprivations  of 
a  camp  and  the  life  of  a  soldier ;  and  seeing  for  a  time  at  least 
nothing  but  defeats  and  disasters  attend  them,  were  almost 
ready  to  throw  down  their  arms  and  reluctantly  give  up  the 
cause  of  freedom  as  hopeless,  now  felt  a  ray  of  hope.  Ani 
mated  by  it,  and  like  a  drowning  man  grasping  at  a  straw 
to  prolong  his  existence,  so  they  seized  on  the  news  of  that 
victory  as  a  fresh  stimulus,  to  excite  them  to  contend  for 
their  freedom,  looking  forward  through  the  dark  and 
gloomy  prospect  of  that  day  to  a  brighter  and  better  day, 
and  afresh  resolved  to  still  hold  on  in  sustaining  the  ground 
they  had  taken. 

LYDIA  DARRACH  AND  ANOTHER  FEMALE 

The  other  event  alluded  to  was  the  discovery  of  a  plan 
of  the  British  army  to  surprise  and  capture  the  army  under 


46  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

Washington  while  stationed  at  these  places.  The  plan  was 
frustrated  by  the  vigilance,  sagacity,  and  I  may  add,  patrio 
tism  of  a  woman  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  named  Lydia 
Darrach,  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  at  whose  house 
the  British  officers  had  a  room  in  which  they  met  to  hold  pri 
vate  consultations.  On  one  occasion  of  this  kind  she  over 
heard  a  plan  of  arrangement  laid  down,  and  the  time  agreed 
upon,  to  make  an  attack  on  the  whole  army  and  take  them 
by  surprise.  This  by  a  well  concerted  stratagem  on  her  part, 
which  shows  how  fertile  the  female  mind  often  is  in  cases 
of  emergency  and  difficulties  to  be  overcome,  to  devise  the 
means  necessary  to  carry  them  into  effect.  The  information 
was  communicated  to  Washington  and  their  object  defeated. 

These  two  causes  accelerated  the  removal  of  the  Conti 
nental  troops  to  Valley  Forge.  The  first  inspired  them  with 
hope,  the  second  showed  them  the  necessity  of  being  further 
removed  from  the  enemy,  and  being  fortified  in  case  of  an 
attack. 

Having  noticed  the  ingenuity  of  the  female  mind,  and  how 
fertile  they  sometimes  are  in  carrying  out  any  objects  they 
have  in  view,  even  under  very  disadvantageous  circumstances, 
I  may  be  excused  if  I  deviate  a  little  from  my  subject  and 
locality  to  relate  a  circumstance  of  the  kind,  which  was 
planned  and  executed  by  a  female  who  some  years  afterward 
removed  to  live  within  the  limits  of  the  lines  of  the  encamp 
ment  at  Valley  Forge,  and  on  that  account  I  give  it  a  place 
here,  though  the  object  she  had  in  view  was  in  direct  oppo 
sition  to  the  interests  of  the  colony.  The  facts  I  have  heard 
her  relate,  and  it  is  from  that  authority  that  I  insert  them, 
though  names  will  be  omitted,  as  there  are  some  of  their 
descendants  living  in  an  adjoining  county,  who,  if  willing 
that  the  account  should  be  published,  would  be  unwilling  to 
see  the  names  of  the  persons  accompany  it.  The  circum 
stances  occurred  soon  after  the  British  took  possession  of 
Philadelphia,  and  are  as  nearly  as  follows: 

There  lived  at  that  time  in  York  county  in  this  state,  a 
man  of  wealth  and  influence,  who  took  an  active  and  decided 
part  with  the  enemy.  Owing  to  his  known  adherence  and 
open  avowal  of  his  attachment  to  the  royal  cause,  he  was  ar 
rested  by  the  Colonial  authority,  and  confined  in  the  prison 
at  York,  to  await  a  trial  for  aiding  and  abetting  the  enemy. 
On  account  of  his  wealth  and  standing  he  was,  though  con 
fined  to  the  house,  allowed  to  have  full  liberty  of  the  yard, 
and  to  have  rooms  furnished  so  that  he  could  receive  and  en 
tertain  company  who  visited  him.  On  a  certain  evening  he 
had  made  an  entertainment,  to  which  he  had  invited  the 
Sheriff  and  the  principal  inhabitants  of  the  town,  and,  it  was 
said,  some  members  of  Congress,  who  were  in  session  at  the 
place.  A  splendid  supper  was  provided  for  them,  and  plenty 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  47 

of  wine  and  other  liquors  to  drink.  While  the  company  was  en 
gaged  eating  and  drinking,  his  wife,  the  woman  alluded  to, 
was  on  the  outside  of  the  wall,  preparing  to  effect  his  escape, 
by  a  plan  very  systematically  arranged  between  them  and 
successfully  carried  into  effect. 

She  had  prepared  a  rope  to  be  thrown  over  the  wall  to 
him;  she  by  holding  the  other  end  was  to  enable  him  to  scale 
the  wall.  If  he  succeeded,  two  fleet  horses  were  in  readiness 
for  them  to  mount  and  ride  off  with  all  expedition  they  pos 
sibly  could.  The  company  being  engaged  as  above  mentioned, 
he  suddenly  complained  of  indisposition,  asked  the  company 
to  excuse  him  for  a  short  time,  and  leaving  his  hat  on  the 
table  to  avoid  suspicion,  he  walked  into  the  yard.  Reaching 
the  place,  he  found  the  rope  provided  too  short.  She  imme 
diately  mounted  her  horse,  which  enabled  him  to  reach  the 
end  of  it,  so  that  he  thereby  made  his  escape  over  the  wall, 
where  a  hat  and  change  of  raiment  were  in  readiness  for  him. 
They  then  set  off  at  full  speed  to  a  point  on  the  Susquehanna 
river,  not  on  the  main  road,  where  arrangements  had  been 
made  to  cross  over  the  river,  leave  the  horses,  and  pursue 
their  journey  on  others  that  were  to  be  in  readiness  on  the 
other  side.  He  was  soon  missed,  finding  he  had  escaped, 
pursuit  was  soon  commenced,  but  owing  to  her  well  arranged 
plans,  they  soon  crossed  over  the  river  and  continued  their 
journey  so  expeditiously  that  on  the  morning  of  the  follow 
ing  day  they  arrived  at  a  house  about  three  miles  from  Val 
ley  Forge,  where,  thirty-six  years  after,  she  ended  a  useful 
and  exemplary  life  in  a  good  old  age. 

They  continued  there  during  the  day,  and  in  the  evening 
left  the  place  to  pursue  their  journey  to  join  the  British 
in  Philadelphia,  leaving  the  place  so  as  to  reach  the  city  by 
daylight.  As  they  drew  near  the  city  they  found  themselves 
closely  pursued,  when,  to  prevent  being  taken,  they  separated. 
He  then  rode  into  the  river,  swam  his  horse  across  and  es 
caped  to  the  British,  where  she  having  found  means  to  cross 
the  river,  soon  joined  him. 

Whether  the  sheriff  of  York  county  was  secretly  in  favor 
of  the  measure  or  not,  is  uncertain,  and  must  always  re 
main  so.  And  whether  the  owner  of  the  house,  where  they 
stopped  during  the  day,  was  previously  acquainted  with  the 
movement  and  disposed  to  favor  it,  have  been  a  matter  of 
conjecture  among  the  people  of  the  neighborhood,  and  differ 
ent  sentiments  have  been  entertained  concerning  the  sub  jet, 
some  exculpating  him  from  any  participation  in  the  matter, 
while  others  have  considered  him  censurable  and  disposed  to 
favor  the  enemy.  I  had  prepared  some  comments  on  the  sub 
ject,  but  having  concluded  not  to  insert  them  in  this  work: 
merely  stating  that  after  the  war  his  devotion  to  our  free 
institutions  and  tenacity,  notwithstanding  his  religious  opin- 


48  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

ions,  in  exercising  his  right  of  suffrage  during  a  long  period 
of  years,  warrants  me  in  uniting  with  the  former  opinion,  and 
shall  now  dismiss  the  subject. 

Having  now  completed  the  principal  matters  relative  to 
the  burning  of  Valley  Forge  and  other  subjects  that  tran 
spired  about  that  time,  I  shall  in  my  next  give  some  account 
of  the  arrival  of  the  troops  in  the  vicinity  of  the  place,  from 
recollections  of  the  relations  that  have  been  given  me  by  those 
who  were  witnesses  of  the  painful  scene,  principally  from 
members  of  our  own  family  whose  lot  it  was  to  reside  within 
the  lines  of  the  army  during  the  whole  period  of  its  encamp 
ment  at  that  place,  suffering  more  than  can  be  described,  but 
which  I  leave  to  the  imagination  of  the  reader  to  conceive  and 
contrast  it  with  our  present  happy  situation  of  ease  and  en 
joyment. 

And  before  I  conclude,  I  would  just  observe  that  in  my 
next  the  account  will  be  generally  confined  to  the  arrival  of 
the  soldiers  at  my  grandfather's,  and  their  situation  at  the 
time.  And  whatever  may  be  related  respecting  them,  may  be 
taken  as  applicable  to  other  families  in  the  neighborhood,  as 
they  all  suffered  alike  during  that  disastrous  time.  To  enter 
into  particulars  would  exceed  the  object  in  view.  I  have, 
therefore,  his  family  taken  as  a  specimen,  from  being  better 
acquainted  with  matters  that  occurred  here  at  the  time. 


O* 


THE  ENCAMPMENT  PROPER 

LETTER  IX 
ARRIVAL  OF  THE  ARMY 

T  WAS  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1777  (Dec. 
19),  and  about  six  weeks  after  the  battle  of  Ger- 
mantown,  that  the  American  army,  under  com 
mand  of  Washington,  encamped  for  the  winter  at 
Valley  Forge.  The  people  of  the  neighborhood 
had  but  little  notice  given  them  of  the  intention  of  the  army 
encamping  there,  previous  to  their  arrival  at  the  place.  Neces 
sity  obliged  the  officers  to  use  much  secrecy  and  to  be  cautious 
in  all  their  movements,  particularly  at  this  critical  time,  when 
the  people  were  under  a  general  depression,  and  the  soldiers 
nearly  destitute  of  food  and  clothing  and  other  necessaries, 
and  more  than  two  thousand  of  them  had  been  marched  bare 
footed  from  one  place  to  another,  often  through  frost  and 
snow,  leaving  the  ground  over  which  they  marched  marked 
with  blood,  to  evade  an  attack  from  the  enemy.  At  the  same 
time,  disheartened  and  dispirited  from  successive  defeats,  and 
almost  worn  down  with  fatigue,  in  their  frequent  marches  to 
keep  out  of  the  way  of  their  powerful  enemy,  who,  through 
their  emissaries,  were  mostly  apprized  of  their  movements, 
and  were  on  the  alert  to  secure  the  most  favorable  opportunity 
to  crush  them  at  a  blow,  and  reduce  the  colonies  to  subjection. 
Under  circumstances  of  this  nature,  it  was  essentially  nec 
essary  that  all  their  movements  should  be  conducted  with  cau 
tion  and  secrecy.  This  may  account  for  little  or  no  notice 
being  given  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  neighborhood,  until  the 
officers  who  preceded  the  main  body  of  the  army  to  provide 
quarters  for  the  general  officers,  on  the  morning  of  the  day  of 
their  movement  to  the  place,  arrived  at  different  houses  in  the 
vicinity  and  designated  their  particular  quarters.  This  gave 
the  inhabitants  at  whose  houses  the  different  officers  were  to 
be  quartered,  but  very  little  time  to  prepare  for  their  recep 
tion. 

On  that  morning,  as  I  have  often  heard  my  mother  and 
others  of  the  family  relate  the  circumstances,  an  officer  ar 
rived  at  their  house,  and,  without  further  ceremony,  wrote 
upon  the  door  "GENERAL  WHEEDON'S  QUARTERS,"  and  then 
informed  them  that  the  General  with  his  guard  would  arrive 
there  during  the  day.  Upon  receiving  this  notice,  they  began 
to  prepare  to  receive  their  visitors. 

Knowing  the  destitute  and  suffering  state  of  the  army  and 
the  hardships  the  soldiers  had  to  pass  through,  my  grand- 


50  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

mother,  who  possessed  a  disposition  of  the  most  universal 
benevolence  to  the  whole  family;  and,  however  opposed  she 
was  to  the  system  of  war  and  bloodshed  and  the  evils  attendant 
upon  them,  yet,  she  could  view  the  soldiers  in  no  other  light 
than  fellow  beings,  suffering  all  the  united  calamities  of  hun 
ger,  cold,  fatigue  and  sickness,  and  her  philanthropic  mind 
influenced  by  a  desire  to  mitigate  as  far  as  possible  their  suf 
ferings,  began  immediately  to  make  preparations  to  provide 
something  for  them  to  eat  upon  their  arrival.  They  had  that 
season  secured  a  large  crop  of  buckwheat  and  had  in  the  house 
at  the  time  a  great  abundance  of  meal  that  had  been  manu 
factured  from  it,  and  but  a  few  days  previous  killed  a  beef. 
They  were,  therefore,  in  some  ways,  prepared  to  receive  them. 
They  immediately  prepared  a  large  tub-full  of  buckwheat  bat 
ter,  and  when  sufficiently  leavened,  they  commenced  baking 
cakes,  to  be  in  readiness  when  the  soldiers  arrived,  and  at  the 
same  time,  put  all  their  iron  pots,  of  all  sorts  and  sizes  into 
requisition  to  boil  scraps,  shins  and  other  pieces  of  beef,  to 
make  a  large  quantity  of  soup  or  broth  for  them. 

Before  proceeding  further  with  this  narrative,  it  may  not 
be  improper  to  take  some  notice  in  this  place  of  Gen.  Joseph 
Wheedon,  whose  quarters  were  at  my  grandfather's.  Holding, 
as  he  did,  the  rank  of  a  major  general,  it  is  somewhat  remark 
able  that  little  or  no  notice  has  ever  been  taken  of  him  in  any 
of  the  accounts  of  the  Revolution  or  in  American  biography. 
I  have  no  recollection  of  ever  seeing  his  name  in  print,  and  had 
it  not  been  for  the  fact  of  his  being  quartered  there,  his  name, 
as  regards  myself  and  many  of  my  readers,  might  have  long 
since  sunk  in  oblivion.  Some  may,  therefore,  feel  a  desire  to 
know  who  he  was.  All  I  can  say  concerning  him  is  from  recol 
lection  of  what  I  have  heard  from  my  parents  and  others  who 
had  an  opportunity  of  knowing  him  at  that  time.  His  resi 
dence  was  in  Nansemond  county,  in  Virginia,  where,  before 
the  war,  he  kept  what  was  called  in  that  country  an  ordinary, 
that  is,  in  our  phrase,  a  tavern  of  an  inferior  kind.  It  was  said 
of  him,  while  in  that  capacity,  that  the  drinking  utensils  of  his 
bar  were  made  of  gourds ;  whether  this  story  is  correct  or  not 
I  am  not  able  to  say ;  but  it  is  certain  that  he  was  dubbed  Joe 
Gourd  by  the  officers  and  soldiers  under  him  during  his  abode 
at  my  grandfather's,  a  name  that  he  was  called  by  for  many 
years  afterward,  and  not  entirely  abandoned  at  the  present 
time,  as  I  have  heard  it  given  him  but  a  few  weeks  since,  by  an 
aged  woman  of  the  family,  who  well  remembers  his  being  at 
the  house  at  the  time  alluded  to  above. 

He  was  of  a  very  haughty  and  arrogant  disposition,  and 
treated  the  soldiers  under  him  with  the  utmost  cruelty  and 
tyranny,  viewing  them  more  in  the  capacity  of  his  negro  slaves, 
over  whom  he  was  privileged  to  exercise  the  most  despotic 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  51 

authority,  than  the  brave  advocates  of  freedom,  struggling  in 
the  cause  of  obtaining  their  liberty,  and  patiently  striving  to 
surmount  the  most  formidable  objects  that  opposed  their  prog 
ress  in  the  attainment  of  it.  By  the  accounts  I  have  heard  of 
him 

"The  milk  of  human  kindness  never  warmed  his  breast." 

He  may,  therefore,  he  held  up  to  view  as  one  raised  to  great 
ness  without  merit,  and  show  the  abuse  such  make  of  their 
power  when  dressed  with  a  little  brief  authority,  or  deputed 
to  exercise  the  commands  of  others.  While  his  authority  over 
those  under  his  command  was  not  only  duly  but  rigidly  en 
forced  to  keep  them  in  abject  subjection  and  pay  servile  hom 
age  to  his  person,  he  never  exercised  it  to  prevent  them  from 
taking  from  the  family  and  others,  anything  they  could  lay 
their  hands  upon;  and,  if  he  did  not  encourage  such  acts,  he 
never,  as  I  have  understood,  endeavored  in  the  least  degree  to 
discourage  them,  or  interposed  to  prevent  it.  I  shall  notice 
him  further  in  some  subsequent  communication. 

But  to  proceed  to  my  narrative.  The  cakes  being  baked 
and  the  soup  got  in  readiness  and  well  thickened  with  buck 
wheat  cakes  and  vegetables,  the  soldiers  soon  after  began  to 
arrive  in  a  truly  deplorable  condition;  and  as  regards  their 
clothing,  appearance  and  distress,  it  need  not  be  repeated.  Al 
most  famished  with  hunger,  they  soon  began  like  ravenous 
animals  to  devour  the  food  provided  for  them.  Before  they 
had  finished  their  meal,  the  General  and  suite  arrived,  and 
his  first  introduction  was  a  haughty  display  of  his  imperious 
temper,  in  driving  the  poor,  fatigued,  and  famished  men  out 
of  the  house,  striking  some  of  them  with  his  sword,  using  the 
most  blasphemous  language,  calling  them  impious  names  for 
entering  the  house,  and  daring  to  eat  before  his  arrival,  and 
uttering  oaths  not  to  be  repeated ;  and  such  was  their  terror 
and  fear  of  him,  that  they  fled  from  his  presence  as  from  a 
dangerous  pestilence,  or  the  fury  of  a  lion. 

This  cruel  treatment  was  more  than  my  worthy  grand 
mother  could  tolerate ;  for  though  of  the  most  pacific  disposi 
tion,  and  endued  with  a  heart  of  tenderness  and  compassion 
towards  the  meanest  insect,  yet  where  suffering  humanity  was 
concerned,  and  it  was  in  her  power  to  administer  to  its  relief, 
she  had  not  only  a  firmness  of  spirt,  but  a  firmness  of  resolu 
tion  to  carry  her  motives  into  effect.  Unintimidated  by  the 
General's  supercilious  behavior  and  regardless  of  his  threats, 
she  resolutely  commanded  some  of  the  soldiers  to  return  and 
carry  out  a  large  iron  pot,  which  is  still  in  possession  of  our 
family,  and  several  smaller  ones  that  were  well  filled  with 
soup,  and  furnishing  them  with  an  additional  supply  of  cakes, 
that  had  been  previously  prepared  for  the  occasion,  they  did 
so,  and  soon  devoured  their  contents,  they  not  being  quite  so 


52  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

fastidious  as  some  of  our  modern  epicures.  Often  have  I 
heard  my  aged  grandmother  describe  the  events  of  that  day; 
and  always  on  these  occasions  her  eyes  would  fill  with  tears, 
in  recollecting  the  distressed  situation  of  the  soldiers  upon 
their  arrival,  and  describing  as  she  was  accustomed  to  do,  the 
contemptible  behavior  of  the  General  toward  them,  not  only 
on  that  day,  but  almost  every  day  during  the  time  he  had  his 
quarters  at  their  house,  though  he  was  there  but  a  short  time. 

From  what  information  I  have  been  able  to  gather,  the 
soldiers  upon  arriving  at  their  respective  quarters,  were  in 
the  same  famished  condition,  and  they  were  also  provided  for 
in  a  similar  manner;  but  I  never  heard  of  any  being  treated 
in  the  same  cruel  manner  that  Wheedon  treated  his  men,  as  re 
lated  in  the  foregoing  account. 

I  shall  now  close  the  communication  by  just  informing 
my  readers,  that  in  my  next  I  shall  give  some  account  of  the 
location  of  the  encampment,  and  the  situation  of  the  surround- 
country,  the  erection  of  fortifications,  huts  and  breast  works, 
and  other  things  relating  to  the  commencement  of  the  encamp 
ment. 

In  describing  places  on  the  river  Schuylkill,  the  eastern 
and  western  sides  of  the  river  are  made  use  of,  without  re 
garding  the  source  at  the  particular  places ;  its  course  is  so  de 
vious  as  often  to  present  a  very  contrary  appearance.  The 
city  of  Philadelphia  is  on  its  eastern  side,  and  all  places  men 
tioned  on  that  side  of  the  river  are  given  on  the  eastern  side, 
and  those  on  the  opposite  side,  on  the  western. 


LETTER   X 
LOCATING  THE  ENCAMPMENT 

HE  location  of  the  encampment  of  the  main  body  of 
the  army  was  on  an  eminence  lying  on  the  west 
ern  side  of  the  river  Schuylkill,  commencing  on 
the  farm  then  belonging  to  Mordecai  Moore,  the 
father  of  Jesse  Moore,  who  was  for  many  years 
Presiding  Judge  of  the  Sixth  Judicial  District  of  Pennsyl 
vania,  and  extending  from  thence  in  a  south-westwardly  di 
rection,  having  the  front  line  of  the  encampment  on  the  first 
elevation  of  the  north  valley  hill,  and  since  called  the  Front 
Line  Hill,  more  than  two  miles,  and  terminating  on  the  farm 
of  John  Brown  near  the  Valley  Creek,  in  Chester  County,  the 
greater  part  of  the  ground  occupied  for  the  purpose,  being 
in  the  then  county  of  Philadelphia,  now  Montgomery.  In 
order  to  protect  themselves  from  an  attack  from  the  enemy, 
they  erected  at  the  northern  extremities  of  the  encampment, 
two  forts,  one  on  the  land  of  Mordecai  Moore,  the  other  about 
forty  rods  distant,  on  the  land  of  John  Moore.  The  remains 
of  them  are  still  sufficiently  visible  to  point  out  their  size  and 
situation,  and  to  show  the  observer  the  uses  for  which  they 
were  intended.  I  shall  speak  more  fully  of  them  in  some  of  my 
future  letters,  just  mentioning  in  this  place,  that  in  my  early 
clays  and  as  long  as  I  can  remember,  these  were  called  Mor 
decai  Moore  Fort  and  John  Moore's  Fort;  and  as  they  still 
retain  these  names,  they  will  in  future  references  to  them, 
be  thus  designated.  From  the  first  mentioned  fort  they 
threw  up  a  breast  work,  running  from  thence  on  the  Front 
Line  Hill,  nearly  its  whole  length,  and  terminating  at  a  fort 
on  the  farm  of  John  Brown.  This  was  done  by  digging  a 
ditch  of  a  sufficient  depth  for  the  men  in  front,  in  case  of  an 
attack,  to  entrench  themselves  from  the  fire  of  the  enemy. 
The  earth  that  was  excavated  was  thrown  in  such  a  position 
as  to  afford  a  similar  entrenchment  for  those  in  the  rear. 
My  first  recollection  of  this  breastwork  was  when  about  five 
years  of  age.  At  that  time,  I  suppose,  the  ditch  was  about 
three  feet  deep,  though  after  a  lapse  of  twenty-three  years, 
it  had  been  considerably  filled  up;  and  the  embankment 
formed  by  the  excavation,  about  the  same  height.  A  consid 
erable  portion  of  it  is  still  (1850)  remaining  in  a  tolerable 
good  state  of  preservation.  Other  similar  ones,  of  shorter 
lengths,  were  erected  in  other  places,  to  be  used  in  cases  of 
emergency. 

On  the  rear  line  of  encampment,  a  range  of  forts  was 


54  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

erected,  in  a  line  nearly  parallel  with  the  Front  Line,  com 
mencing  on  the  land  of  David  Stephens,  and  were  called 
David  Stephens'  Forts  and  John  Brown's  Forts,  on  account  of 
their  being  erected  on  the  land  of  these  individuals.  I  do  not 
know  of  any  forts  or  redoubts  being  erected  on  the  Valley 
Forge  estate,  neither  have  I  ever  seen  the  remains  of  any  upon 
any  part  of  it,  from  which  I  conclude  that  there  were  none 
on  that  property.  In  many  places,  and  particularly  between 
the  forts,  picket  guards  were  placed  to  obstruct  the  advance 
of  cavalry  in  case  of  an  attack.  These  were  formed  of  rails 
with  one  end  sharply  pointed,  the  other  placed  firmly  in  the 
ground,  the  pointed  end  elevated  at  an  angle  of  about  fifteen 
degrees,  and  placed  so  closely  together  that  a  horseman  could 
not  pass  between  them.  Many  of  the  rails  used  for  this  pur 
pose  were  left  on  the  premises,  and  I  have  in  my  time  seen 
many  of  them. 

The  distance  from  Valley  Forge  to  the  Front  Line  Hill, 
in  a  direct  line,  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  which  was  the 
greatest  width  of  the  encampment.  It  was  much  narrower 
at  its  north-east  and  south-west  terminations,  the  river 
Schuylkill  and  Valley  Creek  governing  its  breadth  at  these 
places. 

As  I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  of  the  Rear  Line  Hill, 
as  well  as  the  Front  Line  Hill,  I  may  here  mention,  that  a 
hill  forming  the  western  boundary  of  the  river  Schuylkill  and 
running  nearly  parallel  with  the  Front  Line,  and  leaving  the 
course  of  the  river  near  Headquarters,  and  continuing  in  the 
same  direction  up  the  Valley  Creek  to  the  county  line,  above 
where  the  old  forge  stood  that  was  burned  by  the  British, 
constituted  the  Rear  Line  Hill,  and  is  the  hill  mentioned  in 
my  second  letter. 

It  was  on  the  ground  occupying  the  space  between  these 
two  lines,  that  the  temporary  huts,  for  the  soldiers  and  some 
of  the  officers  to  winter  in,  were  erected ;  the  greater  number 
of  them  on  the  farms  of  Mordecai  Moore  and  David  Stephens. 
The  timber  was  cut  down,  and  the  huts  or  cabins  put  up  in  a 
short  time  after  their  arrival,  for  while  a  part  of  the  soldiers 
were  engaged  in  constructing  fortifications  and  breastworks, 
others  were  cutting  down  timber  and  rearing  their  rude  and 
miserable  huts  to  shelter  them  from  the  severe  winter  that 
was  approaching,  and  which  was  rendered  still  more  so  by 
their  destitute  and  forlorn  situation,  as  described;  yet  such 
was  the  energy  with  which  they  engaged  in  the  undertaking, 
and  the  alacrity  with  which  they,  under  every  disadvantage, 
carried  it  on,  that  I  have  understood  that  in  the  course  of 
four  days  after  their  arrival  the  most  of  the  work  was  com 
pleted. 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  55 

I  never  saw  any  of  the  huts;  they  were  all  demolished 
before  my  time  (1795)  ;  but  the  foundations  of  most  of  them 
were  still  visible.  When  I  first  remember  visiting  the  ground, 
and  from  having  so  often  seen  them,  I  can  form  a  just  esti 
mate  of  their  size,  and  from  the  description  given  of  them 
by  my  father.  I  trust  that  the  information  I  shall  give  con 
cerning  them,  will  be  generally  correct.  The  greater  num 
ber  of  the  huts,  judging  from  the  foundations  as  they  pre 
sented  themselves,  in  my  early  days,  varied  in  size  from  ten 
to  sixteen  feet  square,  occasionally  the  foundation  of  a  much 
larger  one  presented  itself  among  them.  I  always  under 
stood  that  a  mess  of  seven  men  among  the  soldiers  occupied 
one  hut,  and  many  of  the  inferior  officers  had  single  huts  for 
their  accommodation.  The  sites  of  many  of  the  officers'  huts 
and  the  names  of  their  occupants  were  pointed  out  to  me  by 
my  father,  when  I  was  about  eight  years  of  age.  Directly 
on  the  rear  of  the  breastwork  on  the  Front  Line  Hill,  and 
about  twenty  yards  distant  from  it,  a  line  of  huts  was  con 
structed,  commencing  on  the  land  of  Mordecai  Moore,  and 
extending  towards  its  south-western  termination.  Traces 
of  many  of  them  are  still  visible,  and  they  appear  to  have 
been  erected  in  a  nearly  uniform  line  with  spaces  or  passages 
between  them  like  streets  or  roads.  This  regularity  in  their 
construction  is  most  apparent  on  the  front  and  rear  lines. 
Towards  the  center  less  order  appears  to  have  been  observed, 
as  the  remains  of  foundations  of  the  huts  clearly  indicate. 
The  principal  part  of  the  huts  on  the  rear  line  and  in  the 
center  were  erected  on  the  land  of  David  Stephens,  though  a 
number  of  them  were  on  the  Valley  Forge  estate,  and  some 
few  in  the  centre  and  on  both  lines  were  on  the  land  of  other 
persons.  A  small  number  were  erected  on  both  sides  of  the 
lines  of  encampment,  but  all  traces  of  them  have  long  since 
been  obliterated,  and  their  foundations  ploughed  up.  I  have 
a  faint  recollection  of  having  seen  the  sites  of  some  of  them. 
These  huts  were  constructed  in  a  very  rough  and  ready  man 
ner,  and  without  the  aid  of  the  master  builders  and  architects 
of  the  present  day,  for  they  were  hastily  built  of  logs, 
rudely  jointed  together  in  the  manner  of  cribs,  and  the  spaces 
between  them  filled  up  with  stone,  mud  and  clay,  and  what 
ever  other  materials  the  exigency  of  the  case  afforded,  and 
covered  with  earth  excavated  from  the  cellars.  They  had  no 
windows,  and  an  opening  was  left  in  one  end  for  a  door.  It 
was  in  this  manner  the  temporary  accommodations  for  the 
soldiers  and  some  of  the  officers  were  hastily  formed  to  shelter 
them,  though  very  poorly,  from  the  inclemency  of  the  ap 
proaching  winter.  They  had  no  attic  or  basement  stories, 
they  were  barely  high  enough  to  admit  a  man  to  stand  up 
right.  Some  of  them  had  chimneys  and  places  for  fires, 


56  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

though  the  most  of  them  had  not  this  convenience,  and  their 
fires  were  generally  built  upon  the  ground  on  the  outside  of 
their  cabins,  and  here  they  performed  their  cooking  opera 
tions  in  a  very  simple  and  primitive  way. 

I  have  occasionally,  in  my  rambles  over  the  ground  in 
my  youthful  days,  in  search  of  cows,  which  were  turned  upon 
it  to  pasture  (for  then  the  greater  part  of  it  either  lay  a  com 
mon  or  was  an  unenclosed  forest)  found  among  the  founda 
tions  of  the  huts,  the  remains  of  logs  that  had  been  used 
in  their  construction,  and  about  thirty-nine  years  ago  I  found 
in  one  of  them  the  remains  of  a  chimney,  in  a  tolerable  state 
preservation,  and  which  I  also  saw  some  years  afterwards, 
and  a  short  time  previous  to  my  removing  to  this  county, 
but  not  having  traversed  the  grounds  for  the  last  twenty 
years,  I  cannot  say  whether  or  not  it  is  still  remaining.  Upon 
mentioning  these  circumstances  to  my  father,  he  informed  me 
that  these  were  the  quarters  of  some  of  the  general  officrs, 
who  on  account  of  the  thinly  settled  state  of  the  country  could 
not  obtain  them  at  the  dwellings  of  the  inhabitants  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  encampment. 

The  foregoing  description  may  serve  to  give  my  readers  a 
faint,  but  at  best  a  very  faint  and  imperfect  idea,  of  the  man 
ner  and  kind  of  dwellings  with  which  the  soldiers  were  pro 
vided  during  that  memorable  campaign,  and  we  may  figure 
to  our  imaginations,  from  the  destitute  condition,  and  the 
want  of  the  very  necessaries  of  life  under  which  they  were 
laboring  when  they  entered  them,  how  much  they  suffered 
during  their  abode  at  the  place.  I  shall  now  conclude  this 
epistle,  by  observing  that  in  my  next  I  shall  give  some  ac 
count  of  the  general  officers,  and  the  place  of  their  different 
quarters,  and  some  other  matters  that  I  have  heard  related 
of  that  period,  and  probably  some  accounts  of  the  outposts 
of  the  army  that  were  placed  as  an  advanced  guard. 


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LETTER  XI 
QUARTERS  OF  THE  GENERAL  OFFICERS 

AVING  in  my  last  given  a  description  of  the  huts 
that  were  hastily  erected  for  a  temporary  shelter 
for  the  soldiers  during  the  winter,  I  may  now  ob 
serve  that,  when  finished,  they  collected  leaves, 
dead  grass,  straw,  hay,  and  other  materials  into 
their  huts  to  lie  upon;  and  each  one  having  a  blanket  and 
knapsack,  and  seven  of  them  occupying  one  hut,  used  their 
knapsacks  for  pillows,  and  their  blankets  for  bed  clothes  to 
cover  themselves;  but  they  found  food  and  clothing  not  so 
easily  obtained ;  and  for  want  of  the  latter  they  often  suffered. 
In  a  former  letter  I  mentioned  that  the  quarters  of  the  gen 
eral  officers  had  been  designated  by  some  of  the  subordinate 
ones,  who  preceded  the  main  body  of  the  army  on  the  morn 
ing  of  their  arrival;  they  were  at  the  following  places: 

The  headquarters  of  General  Washington  was  at  the  house 
of  a  minister  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  named  Isaac  Potts, 
at  the  chief  mansion  at  Valley  Forge,  at  that  time  the  largest 
house  in  that  vicinity  and  best  calculated  for  headquarters. 
At  the  house  of  David  Stephens,  it  being  the  next  below  on 
the  Schuylkill,  General  Varnum  was  quartered.  Proceeding 
on  to  the  next  one,  then  occupied  by  Zachary  Davis  and  be 
longing  to  David  Stephens,  General  Huntingdon  was  quar 
tered.  At  the  next  one  on  the  river,  then  owner  by  William 
Smith,  First  Provost  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
occupied  at  the  time  by  a  man  named  Henry  Force,  the  provost 
guard  was  stationed ;  and  the  officers  having  charge  of  it  were 
quartered  at  the  house.  The  next  one  on  the  river  was  then 
occupied  by  a  man  named  Michael  Shur;  he  used  to  boast 
of  having  had  the  command  of  the  Second  Regiment  quartered 
at  his  house,  but  who  the  commander  was,  or  to  what  brigade 
he  belonged,  fame  has  not  informed  us.  I 'am  not  certain 
that  any  officers  were  quartered  at  any  of  the  houses  any 
lower  down  the  river. 

I  shall  now  leave  the  course  of  it,  and  proceed  to  the  house 
of  John  Moore,  at  the  northeast  extremity  of  the  encampment. 
General  Muhlenberg  was  quartered  at  the  home  of  Mordecai 
Moore,  which  was  the  next  one  above  in  the  Great  Valley. 
General  Morgan,  when  not  engaged  with  his  rangers  on  the 
outposts,  was  quartered,  and  also  the  Commissary  General 
of  the  army,  at  the  house  of  my  grandfather,  Abijah  Stephens, 
it  being  next  adjoining  farm  and  the  place  of  my  nativity. 
On  the  southeastern  boundary,  General  Wheedon  was  quar- 


58  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

tered  for  a  short  time.  General  Mifflin  had  his  headquarters 
at  William  Godfrey's;  General  Greene,  at  Isaac  Walker's; 
Gen.  Sullivan,  at  Thomas  Waters';  Gen.  Poor,  at  Benjamin 
Jones';  Gen.  Potter,  at  Jacob  Walter's;  and  Gen.  Wayne,  at 
the  house  of  Joseph  Walker — these  constituting  all  the  farms 
and  houses  at  that  time  lying  in  the  Valley  in  Chester 
county,  on  the  southeastern  and  south  sides  of  the  encamp 
ment,  except  one  at  that  time  belonging  to  a  German,  named 
John  Beaver,  at  whose  house  I  have  always  understood  that 
no  officers  were  quartered. 

On  the  southwestern  extremity,  I  have  always  understood 
the  following  officers  were  quartered:  Gen.  Knox,  at  the 
house  of  John  Havard;  and  Gen.  Maxwell,  at  the  house  of 
John  Brown;  and  on  the  west  side  of  the  Valley  Creek,  at 
Valley  Forge,  Gen.  Mclntosh  was  quartered  at  the  house  of  a 
respectable  colored  person,  named  Joseph  Mann. 

I  have  now  in  my  account  travelled  around  the  encamp 
ment  ground  and  come  back  to  headquarters.  I  may  just 
observe  at  this  place,  that  at  the  time  just  alluded  to,  there 
were  no  dwelling  houses  in  the  limits  of  the  ground,  occupied 
by  the  main  body  of  the  army.  Lafayette  did  not  arrive 
here  until  some  time  after  the  army  had  encamped  at  the 
place.  He  came  in  company  with  DeKalb,  Pulaski,  Steuben, 
Kosciusko,  Duloyson,  and  other  distinguished  foreigners,  who 
joined  our  army,  of  some  of  whom  and  their  quarters  some 
notice  will  be  taken  in  some  of  my  future  letters. 

In  addition  to  these,  whose  quarters  have  been  mentioned, 
there  were  several  officers  of  rank,  but  where  they  had  quar 
ters  I  cannot  say  with  certainty,  but  conclude  the  most  of  them 
lived  during  the  time  in  huts ;  and  I  well  remember  my  father 
showing  me  the  foundations  of  large  huts  and  telling  me  they 
were  occupied  by  officers  during  the  time  of  the  encampment ; 
and  on  one  occasion  he  pointed  out  the  one  that  had  been  oc 
cupied  by  Gen.  Lee.  This  was  on  the  Valley  Forge  estate,  on 
the  north  side  of  the  Rear  Line  Hill.  Among  those  that  have 
not  been  noticed  were  Generals  Conway,  Smallwood,  Arm 
strong,  Furman,  MacDougal,  and  many  others  not  now  recol 
lected,  the  most  of  whom  lived  in  the  camp  at  the  time. 

I  have  heard  it  mentioned  by  persons  living  at  the  time 
that  some  officers  were  quartered  at  the  houses  of  Samuel 
Jones  and  Samuel  Richards,  in  the  Great  Valley,  immediately 
above  Joseph  Walker's;  but  not  having  availed  myself  of 
proper  information  on  the  subject,  I  cannot  say  who  they 
were.  I  should  not  suppose  that  any  officers  were  quartered 
higher  up  the  Valley  than  the  latter  place,  as  that  was  be 
yond  the  farthest  extent  of  the  picket  guards  in  a  southerly 
direction.  I  am  further  confirmed  in  this  opinion  from  a  cir 
cumstance  mentioned  to  me  by  John  Davis,  one  of  the  Asso- 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  59 

ciate  Judges  of  the  county  of  Chester,  and  who  was  at  the 
time  of  the  encampment  at  the  Valley  Forge,  a  captain  in 
the  regular  army,  and  whose  residence  was  on  the  Valley 
Creek,  not  more  than  four  miles  from  the  Valley  Forge,  where 
he  was  stationed.  He  informed  me  a  short  time  previous  to 
his  being  deprived  of  the  use  of  speech  by  paralysis,  that  dur 
ing  the  whole  period  the  army  was  there,  he  was  so  con 
stantly  engaged  that  he  was  at  home  but  twice  during  the 
time.  While  engaged  in  the  service,  he  kept  a  journal  of  many 
of  the  occurrences  of  the  camp,  a  part  of  which  was  published 
in  1823  in  the  Village  Record,  a  paper  published  at  West 
Chester  at  that  time,  by  Hon.  Charles  Miner,  and  continued 
in  weekly  numbers  for  several  months;  and  I  regret  that  I 
cannot  now  refer  to  it,  not  having  preserved  the  numbers,  as 
it  contained  much  interesting  information  on  the  subject. 

DISPOSITION  OF  THE  ARMY 

Having  now  got  the  troops  in  their  huts,  and  the  general 
officers  mostly  in  their  quarters,  it  may  now  be  the  proper 
place  to  mention  the  disposition  of  the  army,  and  the  positions 
assigned  them.  After  the  fall  of  Gen.  Nash,  who  commanded 
the  troops  constituting  Washington's  body  or  life  guard,  many 
of  whom  were  slain  at  the  battle  of  Germantown,  the  sur 
vivors  of  them  were  placed  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Mc- 
Intosh,  and  as  body  guard  to  the  commander-in-chief,  were 
stationed  on  a  hill  a  little  east  of  Headquarters.  On  the  hill 
of  the  Rear  Line,  and  on  both  sides  of  the  Gulf  road,  and  ex 
tending  in  a  southeasterly  direction,  were  stationed  the 
brigades  of  Generals  Conway,  Maxwell,  Huntingdon  and 
Varnum,  the  latter  being  stationed  on  a  hill  near  his  quarters, 
where  a  redoubt  was  erected  in  order  to  command  a  view  of 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  The  site  of  the  redoubt,  which 
is  now  so  nearly  destroyed  as  to  leave  but  few  traces  of  its 
existence  remaining,  was  placed  on  an  elevated  point  of  land, 
from  which  an  extensive  view  of  both  sides  of  the  river  could 
be  secured,  and  so  near  the  stream  as  to  employ  the  artillery 
to  check  an  attempt  of  the  enemy  to  cross  over  near  the  place ; 
but  their  use  for  the  purpose  was  never  required. 

The  main  body  of  the  army  under  the  command  of  Gen 
erals  Muhlenberg,  Wheedon,  Mifflin,  Poor,  Potter  and  Wayne, 
were  stationed  along  the  Front  Line  Hill;  and  troops  under 
the  command  of  the  several  officers  last  named,  were  so  ar 
ranged  as  to  be  nearest  their  respective  quarters.  The  divi 
sion  of  Sullivan  was  stationed  on  the  Schuylkill  between  Head 
quarters  and  the  Fatland  ford,  about  half  a  mile  lower  down 
the  river;  some  further  notice  of  them  will  be  given  in  a  fu 
ture  number.  The  troops  commanded  by  Knox  and  Small- 


60  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

wood,  and  afterwards  by  Lafayette,  were  stationed  on  the 
southeastern  extremity  of  the  encampment. 

•  The  artillery,  under  command  of  Col.  Proctor,  were  sta 
tioned  on  the  south  side  of  the  Gulf  road,  between  that  and  the 
Baptist  road  in  the  county  of  Montgomery,  a  little  north  of  the 
Chester  county  line — the  place  ever  since  retaining  the  name 
of  the  park.  In  case  of  attack  from  the  enemy  the  direction 
of  the  artillery  was  to  be  given  to  Gen.  Duportale,  chief  of 
the  engineers.  The  foregoing  is  nearly  as  correct  an  account 
as  I  can  give  from  memory,  as  the  circumstances  have  been 
related  to  me,  by  many  persons  who  were  conversant  with 
these  things  and  the  passing  events  of  the  day;  but  my  in 
formants  are  now  no  more  in  this  state  of  existence. 

The  outposts  mentioned  in  my  last  were  placed  to  watch 
the  movements  of  the  enemy,  act  as  an  advanced  guard,  sur 
prise  foraging  parties  of  the  enemy,  and  intercept  any  com 
munications  between  the  disaffected  people  of  that  day  with 
the  British;  and  also  to  prevent  trading  with  them,  as  there 
were  even  some,  who,  though  not  adhering  to  the  cause  of 
royalty,  yet  for  the  sake  of  a  hard  currency,  which  could  al 
ways  be  obtained  of  the  enemy,  in  preference  to  the  depre 
ciating  paper  money  of  that  day,  ventured  at  all  hazards  to 
trade  with  them.  A  line  of  these  outposts  commenced  at  the 
river  Schuylkill  opposite  the  place  where  the  town  of  Consho- 
hocken  now  stands;  then  known  by  the  name  of  Matson's 
Ford,  extending  in  a  southwesterly  direction  several  miles; 
that  portion  of  country,  lying  between  the  main  body  at  Val 
ley  Forge  and  the  outposts,  being  on  the  prescribed  lines  of 
the  army.  The  command  of  these  was  given  to  Gen.  Lord 
Sterling,  who  was  encamped  near  the  Schuylkill  on  the  Gulf 
Hills,  and  from  this  circumstance  the  place  was  known  as 
Rebel  Hill,  a  name  it  still  retains.  The  General  while  here 
was  quartered  at  the  house  of  John  Reese;  and  among  other 
officers  attached  to  his  brigade,  and  with  him  at  his  quarters, 
was  James  Monroe,  since  President  of  the  United  States,  and 
one  of  the  most  popular  men  that  has  ever  filled  the  executive 
chair.  This  house  is  now  standing,  having  undergone  but 
little  if  any  alteration  since  that  time.  It  is  now  occupied  by 
a  sister  of  my  mother,  now  in  the  eighty-second  year  of  her 
age,  and  the  last  survivor  of  that  generation,  and  nearly  the 
last  one  of  the  Revolution,  who  was  a  resident  of  the  neigh 
borhood  of  Valley  Forge,  at  the  time  of  the  encampment, 
who  was  of  an  age  sufficient  to  remember  the  passing  events 
of  that  day.  I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  of  her  more  fully 
hereafter. 

As  mentioned  in  the  forepart  of  this  letter,  the  rangers 
of  Gen.  Morgan  were  placed  on  the  outposts,  his  place  of 
rendezvous  being  on  the  farm  on  which  Morgan's  on  the  Co- 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  61 

lumbia  Railroad  is  now  located ;  and  at  the  house  of  Mordecai 
Morgan,  at  the  original  mansion,  he  had  his  headquarters 
when  in  the  neighborhood.  I  have  understood  that  the  Gen 
eral  was  distantly  related  to  this  family,  but  on  this  point 
I  cannot  speak  correctly;  it  was  from  the  latter  family  that 
the  name  of  Morgan's  Corner  was  called.  Here  he  was  said 
to  be  particularly  useful  in  preventing  many  from  trading 
with  the  British,  by  supplying  them  with  provisions  and 
otherwise  holding  communication  with  them.  While  thus  en 
gaged,  I  never  heard  of  any  further  violent  measures  being 
used  by  him  upon  any  thus  surprised  and  captured,  than  to 
secure  their  produce  and  then  let  them  return  home.  He 
captured  some  persons  from  York  county,  who,  with  teams 
were  engaged  in  removing  to  Philadelphia  the  furniture  of 
a  person  mentioned  in  a  former  letter,  who  was  taken  out  of 
prison  by  his  wife;  they  let  the  people  go,  but  secured  the 
goods.  Other  similar  detachments  were  placed  at  different 
stations  for  similar  purposes  and  a  skirmish  took  place  at  the 
house  of  a  person  named  John  Scott  in  Easttown  township, 
Chester  county,  between  one  of  these  and  a  foraging  party 
of  the  enemy,  in  which  one  person  was  killed  and  several 
wounded.  Major  William  Brooke  of  Radnor  township,  Dela 
ware  county,  was  the  officer  who  commanded  on  the  occasion. 
One  of  the  persons  wounded  at  the  time  was  a  person  named 
Griffith  Reese,  a  brother  to  George  Reese,  sheriff  of  the  city 
and  county  of  Philadelphia  about  eighteen  years  ago.  I  may 
also  add  in  this  place  that  the  Major  Brooke  just  mentioned 
is  the  same  whom  some  of  my  readers  may  remember,  who 
after  living  to  an  advanced  age  and  enjoyed  a  respectable 
standing  in  the  community,  in  the  year  1829,  was  killed  by 
a  blow  inflicted  by  his  own  son,  while  laboring  under  a  par 
tial  aberration  of  mind. 

I  shall  now  close  this  subject  as  relates  to  the  general 
arrangement  and  disposition  of  the  army;  and  in  my  next 
will  relate  some  incidents  that  occurred  during  the  time; 
and  endeavor,  as  far  as  in  my  power,  to  give  a  description 
of  the  hardships  and  trials  that  were  suffered  by  them  during 
that  severe  season. 


LETTER    XII 
INCIDENTS  OF  THE  CAMP 

HE  ARMY  was  not  partially  sheltered  from  the 
inclemency  of  the  wind  and  weather,  but  still  the 
prospect  was  far  from  being  a  bright  one,  for 
"shadows,  clouds  and  darkness"  rested  upon  it. 
For  many  weeks  after,  they  suffered  for  want  of 
food,  blankets,  and  clothes,  particulary  shoes.  Provisions  of 
all  kinds  were  nearly  exhausted,  their  blankets  nearly  worn 
out,  their  clothes,  not  only  tattered  and  torn,  but  from  long 
use  worn  threadbare  and  scarcely  holding  together,  and  the 
prospect  of  a  further  supply,  from  the  reduced  state  of  the 
country,  very  precarious.  But  their  greatest  suffering  was  for 
want  of  shoes.  I  have  often  heard  it  related  by  many  per 
sons  living  in  the  neighborhood  that  they  had  seen  the  snow 
and  ground  over  which  the  soldiers  had  to  pass  in  perform 
ing  the  duties  of  the  camp,  marked  with  the  blood  that  flowed 
from  their  feet,  and  while  they  beheld  these  things,  and 
looked  upon  the  objects  of  suffering,  shivering  wth  cold,  and 
suffering  from  hunger,  which  it  was  not  in  their  power  fully 
to  relieve,  they  have  admired  the  magnanimity  and  firmness 
with  which  they  bore  all  their  trials.  In  addition  to  those  just 
narrated,  there  were  many  other  hardships  they  had  to  un 
dergo;  that  cruel  scourge,  the  small-pox,  was  introduced  into 
the  camp,  threatening  to  destroy  all  who  had  not  been  inocu 
lated.  Owing  to  neglect  or  inability  on  the  part  of  Congress, 
the  commissary  department  became  so  exhausted  that  there 
was,  at  one  time,  not  a  day's  provisions  of  any  kind  on  hand, 
and  absolute  famine  threatened  them.  Some  of  the  troops  had 
been  a  week,  and  others  three  or  four  days,  without  a  mouth 
ful  of  animal  food  of  any  kind.  Yet,  under  all  these  dis 
couragements,  they  patiently  endured  their  sufferings  for  sev- 
ral  weeks  without  a  murmur.  To  enumerate  all  their  suffer 
ings  that  I  have  heard  related,  would  swell  these  narrations 
to  an  unreasonable  length.  I  shall,  therefore,  omit  many 
things  which,  if  inserted,  would  be  tautoiogous. 

I  shall  now  refer  to  a  disposition  which  many  among  them 
began  to  manifest,  to  leave  the  army  and  return  to  their 
homes.  This  disposition  had  been  created  and  fostered  by 
some  leading  demagogues,  circulating  annonymous  letters 
among  them,  censuring  Congress,  on  account  of  not  supply 
ing  them  with  the  necessaries  they  required,  and  secretly  en 
couraging  them  to  revolt  and  forsake  the  cause  they  had  es 
poused.  A  favorable  time  to  effect  their  object  had  been 
embraced,  when  the  affairs  of  Congress  were  at  their  lowest 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  63 

ebb,  and  the  army  in  the  distressed  situation  just  described, 
and  the  country  surrounding  the  encampment,  and  upon  the 
bounty  of  which  some  of  them  had  for  some  time  been  sup 
ported,  had  become  nearly  destitute  of  provisions  and  other 
necessaries.  Their  love  for  their  commander-in-chief  and 
other  officers,  and  their  devotion  to  their  country's  freedom, 
had  thus  far  kept  them  united,  and  it  was  now  only  by  the 
influence  of  Washington  that  prevented  an  open  revolt.  He 
reasoned  pathetically  with  them  on  the  impropriety  of  leaving 
the  army,  and  lost  no  time  in  representing  their  sufferings  to 
Congress.  They  then  agreed  to  continue  with  him  without 
repining.  At  this  particular  juncture  of  time,  such  was  the 
scarcity  of  the  means  of  transporting  the  supplies  for  the  use 
of  the  army,  that  the  soldiers  and  even  some  of  the  officers, 
like  beasts  of  burden,  performed  with  cheerfulness,  the  duties 
of  providing  and  carrying  wood,  provisions  and  other  neces 
saries  for  the  use  of  their  suffering  companions,  for  there 
were  at  this  time  near  three  thousand  persons  so  destitute  of 
clothing  as  to  be  unfit  for  duty;  fires  had  to  be  kept  up  dur 
ing  the  night  to  prevent  them  from  perishing  with  cold,  and 
many  others  from  sickness  and  wounds,  were  crowded  into 
hospitals  and  private  houses,  claiming  that  attention  neces 
sary  on  such  occasions,  but  which  on  account  of  the  desti 
tute  condition  of  the  government  they  could  not  fully  receive. 

Upon  application  being  made  to  Congress,  and  a  true 
representation  of  the  condition  of  the  troops  accompanying 
it,  that  body  appointed  a  committee  to  visit  them,  who,  after 
the  performance  of  their  duty  and  making  report,  which  was 
done  as  expeditiously  as  possible,  such  relief  and  assistance 
was  given  as  the  slender  means  in  their  power  afforded.  But 
the  winter,  owing  to  their  destitute  condition,  was  one  of  un 
common  severity,  and  many  ended  their  days  in  the  service 
at  this  place,  especially  those  stationed  on  the  north  side  of 
the  Rear  Line  Hill,  who  were  generally  from  the  southern 
colonies,  and  not  accustomed  to  the  climate,  and  being  in  a 
more  exposed  situation,  many  of  them  died  in  consequence, 
and  their  mortal  remains  were  laid  there  without  a  stone 
to  mark  the  spot  where  their  ''mouldering  ashes  sleep,"  but 
not  "low  in  the  ground,"  for  they  were  often  buried  so  near 
the  surface  as  to  be  .disinterred  by  hungry  swine,  and  in 
places  where  the  soil  had  been  washed  off,  the  decaying  bones 
have  been  presented  to  view,  some  of  which  I  have  seen  within 
the  last  thirty  years  (between  1820  and  1850). 

In  the  midst  of  these  trying  scenes,  an  attempt  was  made 
to  remove  Washington  from  the  chief  command,  and  place 
Gen.  Gates,  then  exulting  in  his  triumph  in  the  capture  of 
Burgoyne,  in  his  stead.  Whether  the  latter  was  concerned  in 
the  affair  I  have  not  distinctly  understood.  Generals  Lee  and 


64  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

Conway,  neither  of  them  native  Americans,  and  some  other 
officers,  together  with  some  members  of  Congress,  were  be 
lieved  to  be  at  the  head  of  the  movement.  Measures  were  used 
to  bring  Lafayette  to  unite  in  the  scheme,  but  these,  together 
with  the  whole  project,  proved  an  entire  failure,  and  Washing 
ton,  to  the  joy  of  the  army  at  this  place,  and  the  majority  of 
the  people  of  the  nation,  continued  in  command.  Soon  after 
this  his  wife  came  from  Mt.  Vernon  to  spend  the  residue  of 
the  campaign  with  him  at  Headquarters. 

It  may  be  in  place  here  to  relate  what  I  have  often  heard 
said  of  Washington,  by  many  persons  of  the  place,  that  during 
this,  and  all  other  gloomy  periods  of  the  Revolution,  his  con 
fidence  in  the  final  triumph  of  freedom  and  the  cause  of 
liberty,  and  the  final  success  of  the  army  under  his  command, 
never  forsook  him.  While  he  felt  for  the  trials  of  those  under 
his  command,  and  suffered  with  them,  and  his  benevolent 
heart  bled  for  their  suffering,  and  as  far  as  in  his  power, 
endeavored  to  mitigate  them,  yet  in  his  duty  to  his  country, 
that  had  entrusted  so  great  a  task  to  him  to  perform  he  stood 
firm  and  unmoved,  comparable  to  a  rock  firmly  planted  on 
the  shore  of  a  tempestuous  ocean,  against  which  the  wind 
and  waves  and  adverse  storms,  may  beat  with  all  their  com 
bined  fury,  but  are  unable  to  remove,  or  even  shake  it  from  its 
centre.  To  this,  may  in  a  great  measure,  be  attributed  his 
peculiar  faculty  of  winning  and  securing  the  affections  of  the 
army  at  that  critical  time,  and  of  their  calmly  listening  to 
his  parental  advice,  when  on  the  brink  of  a  revolt  as  noticed 
above.  And  it  was  from  this  source,  and  the  unshaken  con 
fidence  in  the  goodness  of  his  cause,  that  on  the  occasion  they 
relinquished  their  intentions,  and  quietly  and  cheerfully  again 
resumed  the  severe  hardships  and  self-denying  duties  of  the 
camp.  In  this  confidence  he  stood  not  alone;  there  was  a  host 
of  others,  equally  sanguine,  and  who  endured,  with  equal  firm 
ness,  many  severe  trials  and  disappointments,  and  firmly  ad 
hered  and  remained  devoted  to  the  cause  they  had  espoused, 
during  that  memorable  winter;  time  would  fail  to  tell  of  all. 
I  shall  merely  mention  the  names  of  Greene,  Sullivan,  Wayne, 
Mifflin,  DeKalb  and  Lafayette,  omitting  a  number  of  others 
equally  patriotic  and  firm  in  their  adherence  to  the  cause  of 
freedom.  There  is  one,  however  inconsistent  his  conduct  may 
appear  to  many,  as  a  professed  minister  of  Christian  religion, 
and  incompatible  with  the  gospel  of  truth,  yet  his  patriotism 
and  devotion  to  the  cause,  and  his  firmness  in  adhering  to  it, 
during  the  gloomy  period  of  the  Revolution,  may  claim  a  few 
passing  remarks.  I  mean  the  Rev.  David  Jones,  chaplain 
to  General  Wayne's  brigade,  and  for  many  years  pastor  of 
the  Baptist  congregation  in  the  Great  Valley.  He  early  mani 
fested  a  deadly  hatred  and  hostility  to  the  measures  of  the 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  65 

British  government,  and  soon  after  the  commencement  of  the 
Revolution,  published  a  work  in  vindication  of  defensive  war. 
I  have  understood  that  it  was  his  practice  to  preach  at  dif 
ferent  stations  during  the  time,  and  to  encourage  the  officers 
and  soldiers  in  his  discourses,  to  persevere  in  contending 
against  their  enemies,  frequently  on  these  occasions  using 
for  his  texts  the  fourteenth  and  nineteenth  verses  of  the 
fourth  chapter  of  the  book  of  Nehemiah. 

During  the  encampment  at  Valley  Forge,  I  have  heard  it 
said  that  Washington  used  often  to  retire  to  solitary  places, 
and  on  one  of  these  occasions,  he  was  discovered  by  Isaac 
Potts  engaged  in  vocal  prayer.  This  circumstance  is  noticed 
by  Weems  in  his  life  of  Washington,  and  some  comments 
made  upon  it  by  the  author,  of  this  circumstance  concerning 
Isaac  Potts,  of  the  consistency  of  the  sword  and  the  Gospel. 
How  far  the  account  of  this  convincement  is  correct  I  am  not 
prepared  to  say,  as  it  is  the  only  account  I  have  ever  seen 
or  heard  of  it.  But  I  have  heard  the  circumstance  related, 
and  the  spot  was  pointed  out  to  me  several  years  before  I 
saw  the  account  published.  And  while  I  am  not  prepared  to 
adopt  the  conclusion  that  Mr.  Potts  was  thus  convinced  of 
the  consistency  of  the  sword  and  the  Gospel,  yet  through 
the  remainder  of  his  life  he  was  always  a  warm  friend  of 
Washington,  and  always  spoke  of  him  in  terms  of  the  highest 
respect.  I  was  once  told  by  a  near  relative  of  his,  that  pre 
vious  to  the  time  alluded  to,  he  was  unsettled  in  his  adherence 
to  the  American  cause,  but  his  intimate  acquaintance  with 
Washington  removed  his  objections,  and  in  his  latter  days  he 
was  a  firm  republican  in  principle  and  practice. 

As  I  shall  not  have  more  to  say  of  the  general  sufferings 
of  the  camp,  but  shall  in  my  future  communications  confine 
myself  to  other  matters  of  a  more  special  nature  that  occurred 
during  the  time,  I  will  just  add  before  closing,  that  among 
those  who  were  stationed  here,  enduring  the  sufferings  and 
privations  of  that  day,  were  many  of  the  wealthy  and  re 
spectable  from  all  parts  of  the  Union,  and  from  the  South 
there  were  some  individuals,  who  have  since  filled  important 
offices  in  the  government,  among  whom  may  be  mentioned 
the  Butlers,  Claibornes,  Blounts,  Lewises,  Macons,  Merre- 
wethers,  and  many  others  from  various  parts  of  the  Union, 
whose  names  are  not  recollected.  In  some  of  my  future  com 
munications,  I  shall  have  further  reference  to  the  subject. 


LETTER  XIII 
MORE  ABOUT  WHEEDON 

N  ONE  of  my  former  letters  some  notice  was  given 
of  General  Wheedon,  and  also  of  my  intention  of 
giving  some  further  information  concerning  him. 
It  has  been  observed  that  he  remained  at  his 
quarters  but  a  short  time,  but  short  as  it  was,  it 
was  long  enough  for  the  soldiers  under  his  command  to  com 
mit  depredations  to  so  great  an  extent,  that  it  required  years 
to  overcome  the  effects,  and  to  restore  the  waste  places  pro 
duced  in  consequence  of  their  rapacity.  Almost  every  tree  on 
the  place  was  cut  down  or  destroyed ;  all  the  fences  were  either 
used  for  fuel,  or  carried  off  the  premises,  to  be  employed  in 
constructing  huts,  or  forming  picket  guards.  Their  hay,  grain, 
straw,  fodder  and  vegetables,  were  all  taken,  as  the  General 
said,  for  the  use  of  the  army;  but  the  real  object  was  believed 
to  be  for  the  sole  purpose  of  serving  his  own  private  interests. 
He  exercised  no  restraint  over  the  soldiers  in  this  particular, 
the  consequence  was  that  all  their  movable  property,  not  se 
cured  or  removed  beyond  their  reach,  was  taken  by  the  soldiers 
with  impunity,  and  the  family  were  left  nearly  destitute  of 
even  the  common  domestic  utensils,  such  as  buckets,  pots, 
kettles,  pans,  plates,  knives  and  forks,  and  such  things  as  were 
indispensably  necessary.  During  the  time  of  his  quarters 
there,  these  depredations  were  committed,  and  I  have  often 
heard  it  related  by  many  of  the  family  that  the  only  thing  not 
previously  secured,  that  escaped  their  rapacity,  was  a  grind 
stone,  which  the  General  had  ordered  not  to  be  removed  on 
account  of  the  daily  use  they  made  of  it  to  grind  their  knives 
and  other  edge  tools.  I  have  heretofore  hinted  at  his  severity 
to  his  soldiers;  he  always  kept  a  strong  guard  at  the  house, 
and  during  the  most  inclement  nights,  exposed  to  all  kinds 
of  weather,  the  poor  soldiers  thus  employed,  walked  to  and  fro 
through  the  yard,  poorly  fed  and  still  more  poorly  clad.  Often 
in  the  dead  hours  of  the  night,  would  some  of  the  member  of 
the  family  arise  from  their  beds,  and  from  the  window  of  the 
second  story  of  the  house,  which  was  the  only  part  the  family 
occupied,  throw  to  the  poor  famished  guards  pieces  of  meat, 
crusts  of  bread,  and  any  kind  of  provisions  they  had  on  hand, 
which,  while  shuddering  with  cold,  they  would  seize  with 
avidity,  and  devour  with  the  greediness  of  a  ravenous  animal. 
His  own  aggrandizement  and  the  acquisition  of  wealth 
seems  to  have  been  his  leading  motive  in  entering  the  service, 
and  the  accomplishment  of  thse  objects  his  governing  princi 
ple.  He  had  a  number  of  private  baggage  wagons,  conducted 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  67 

by  his  own  slaves,  and  used  for  the  purpose  of  conveying  sup 
plies  for  the  use  of  the  army,  often  at  extravagant  prices, 
which  were  extorted  from  the  government  on  account  of  its 
necessitous  situation,  and  at  all  times  embracing  every  oppor 
tunity  in  his  power  to  speculate  on  the  public  treasury,  receiv 
ing  his  pay  in  continental  money.  But  nearly  enough  has  been 
said  of  him,  unless  it  were  better,  and  I  shall  soon  take  leave 
of  him,  by  just  mentioning  that  having  in  various  ways  ac 
cumulated  a  large  amount  of  Continental  money,  and  fearing 
it  would  die  on  his  hands,  he  sold  his  teams,  collected  his 
slaves,  resigned  his  commission,  and  returned  to  his  home,  to 
invest  his  money  in  real  estate,  and  this  is  the  last  account 
I  ever  heard  of  him. 

DEKALB  SUCCEEDS  WHEEDON 

Upon  the  resignation  of  Wheedon,  the  command  of  the  Vir 
ginia  line  was  given  to  Baron  DeKalb,  a  German  nobleman, 
whose  character,  life,  services  and  death  at  Camden,  in  South 
Carolina,  are  too  well  known  to  need  a  description  here.  He 
also  succeeded  to  the  quarters  of  Wheedon,  at  my  grand 
father's,  and  soon  a  different  state  of  things  were  produced, 
and  while  less  servile  homage  was  paid  to  his  person  by  the 
soldiers,  their  affections  were  more  firmly  secured  by  his  kind 
and  affectionate  treatment  to  them,  at  the  same  time  his  au 
thority  was  more  firmly  established,  and  his  orders  obeyed, 
and  more  restraint  placed  over  the  soldiers;  order  and  regu 
larity  were  restored,  and  the  situation  of  the  family  much 
more  pleasant  than  it  had  been  previous  to  his  arrival.  The 
family  having  been  supplied  with  things  necessary  for  do 
mestic  purposes,  by  some  of  their  relatives  and  friends,  who 
lived  beyond  the  scenes  of  devastation,  the  property  was 
through  his  authority,  protected  from  much  further  depreda 
tion.  His  urbanity  rendered  him  an  agreeable  companion,  and 
laid  the  foundation  of  a  lasting  friendship  between  them. 
Much  more  might  be  related  concerning  the  Baron,  during  his 
residence  at  the  house,  for  I  call  it  his  residence,  as  he  was 
there  more  than  four  months,  and  was  always  considered  as 
one  of  the  family;  and  from  the  day  of  his  arrival  until  he 
left  the  place,  he  was  always  viewed  more  as  an  old  friend  and 
acquaintance  than  a  perfect  stranger  from  a  foreign  land. 
After  leaving  the  place,  whenever  opportunity  offered,  a  cor 
respondence  was  kept  up  between  him  and  my  grandfather, 
and  his  last  letter  was  written  a  few  days  previous  to  the 
battle  of  Camden,  where  he  fell,  and  not  received  until  some 
weeks  after  his  death.  This  letter  I  regret  has  been  lost.  An 
other  that  was  written  a  few  weeks  previous  is  still  in  pos 
session  of  the  family,  and  was  published  in  this  and  some  other 
papers  of  this  county  about  two  years  since. 


68  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

I  have  often  heard  his  person  and  habits  described  by  my 
mother ;  he  was  tall  of  stature,  and  very  erect  for  a  person  of 
his  years;  being  more  than  sixty  years  of  age,  having  been 
forty  years  in  the  Prussian  service.  He  had  a  very  open  in 
telligent  countenance,  dark  blue  eyes,  very  expressive,  a  good  set 
of  teeth,  well  formed  head,  his  hair  grey,  and  his  complexion, 
from  long  exposure,  rather  swarthy;  in  his  habits,  temperate 
and  abstemious;  his  conversation,  bland  and  interesting,  and 
manners  polite  and  agreeable,  given  to  sociability — a  man  of 
liberal  education,  speaking  the  English  language  well  for  a 
foreigner.  I  have  heard  her  say  he  would  sit  for  hours  to 
gether  with  the  family  on  long  winter  evenings,  in  relating  in 
cidents  and  many  interesting  accounts  that  had  taken  place 
under  his  immediate  notice  in  Europe,  one  of  which  was  a  very 
lively  account  of  a  journey  to  his  native  place,  a  little  time  be 
fore  his  embarking  for  this  country  to  visit  his  aged  parents 
whom  he  had  not  seen  for  more  than  twenty  years.  The  dis 
tance  was  about  two  hundred  miles.  His  father  and  mother 
were  then  about  eighty-seven  years  of  age,  both  of  them  en 
joying  good  health  and  unimpaired  faculties,  and  capable  of 
performing  bodily  labor.  They  were  not  in  affluent  circum 
stances,  and  the  Baron  had  risen  to  preferment,  not  through 
the  influence  of  wealth  or  claims  to  nobility,  but  through  his 
own  merit,  having  in  early  youth  been  accustomed  to  labor. 
He  used  to  relate  that  when  he  arrived  at  his  father's  house,  he 
found  his  aged  mother  busily  engaged  at  her  spinning,  enjoy 
ing  that  satisfaction  that  can  be  felt  only  by  those  who  can  look 
in  the  evening  of  their  day,  on  the  reward  of  a  well-spent  life. 
Upon  inquiry  for  his  father,  he  was  informed  that  he  was  at 
work  in  a  wood  a  short  distance  from  the  house;  and  shortly 
after  he  went  out  to  seek  him,  and  met  him  returning  home  in 
company  with  a  grandson,  each  laden  with  billets  of  wood  for 
fuel.  The  meeting  was  a  joyful  one  to  all  parties.  When  re 
lating  these  circumstances,  he  used  to  mention  it  as  one  of  the 
happist  days  of  his  life,  recalling  to  his  mind  the  fond  recol 
lections  of  early  days  and  the  joyous  scenes  of  his  youth,  which 
all  the  honors  that  had  been  conferred  upon  him  had  not  been 
able  to  obliterate.  His  visiting  his  aged  parents  and  spend 
ing  some  time  with  them  in  retirement,  afforded  him  a  satis 
faction  far  superior  to  the  din  of  battle,  the  noise  of  folly,  the 
adulation  of  flattery,  the  tinsel  of  honor,  or  the  baubles  of  roy 
alty.  The  circumstances  of  this  journey  were  themes  of  con 
versation  he  used  to  love  to  dwell  upon,  and  which  he  hoped 
again  to  witness,  when  his  mission  in  this  country  should  be 
accomplished.  But  this  hope  was  never  realized.  At  the 
battle  of  Camden,  in  South  Carolina,  he  fell  pierced  with 
wounds,  and  soon  breathed  his  last,  far  from  his  native  home, 
and  all  his  tender  connections  in  life.  I  have  an  idea  that  at 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  69 

the  time  he  was  here,  he  was  a  widower,  and  had  left  a  family 
of  children  in  Prussia;  but  whether  or  not  this  is  correct, 
I  am  not  certain.  If  it  were  so,  it  may  be  once  cause  of  his 
particular  fondness  for  the  children  of  the  family,  some  of 
whom  at  that  time  were  small.  He  used  to  treat  them  with 
great  kindness,  and  in  hours  of  relaxation  would  enjoy  him 
self  with  their  childish  sports,  always  trying  to  please  them 
and  gain  their  affections. 

It  may  now  be  in  place  to  mention  a  small  matter  re 
lated  to  me  a  few  weeks  since,  by  the  only  surviving  one  of 
the  family  living  at  that  period — the  venerable  Elizabeth 
Reese,  now  living  at  the  quarters  of  Lord  Sterling,  near  the 
Gulf  Hills,  in  the  eighty-second  year  of  her  age.  At  the  time 
he  was  at  her  father's  house,  she  was  in  the  ninth  year  of  her 
age,  and  was  always  his  particular  favorite.  When  about  to 
leave  the  place,  upon  taking  an  affectionate  leave  of  the  family, 
when  bidding  her  an  affectionate  and  final  farewell,  he  took 
from  his  breast  a  ribbon,  to  which  was  fastened  a  star,  which 
he  always  wore  as  a  badge  of  his  nobility,  and  presented  it  to 
her,  telling  her  to  keep  it  in  remembrance  of  him.  She  kept 
it  for  a  short  time,  when  a  little  girl  from  a  distance  came  to 
see  her,  and  wanting  it,  she,  to  use  her  own  words,  "foolishly 
gave  it  away,"  and  it  was  never  recovered.  When  mentioning 
the  circumstance,  she  expressed  her  regret  at  having  parted 
with  it,  not  that  it  was  of  any  great  value,  but  that  now  in 
her  old  age  of  having  it  to  look  upon,  and  of  having  kept  it  in 
accordance  with  his  request. 

During  his  residence  at  the  place  he  always  enjoyed  him 
self  agreeably,  partook  at  the  same  table  with  the  family,  fre 
quently  furnishing  them  from  his  private  stores,  with  many 
things  that  the  situation  of  the  family  required,  but  could  not 
be  easily  obtained  on  account  of  foreign  trade  being  sus 
pended,  and  but  few  if  any  manufactories  being  put  in  opera 
tion,  and  where  any  efforts  were  made  to  establish  them,  they 
were  destroyed  by  the  enemy,  it  being  their  policy  to  make  the 
colonies  as  dependent  as  possible  upon  foreign  nations,  for  all 
the  necessaries  of  life.  And  such  was  the  confidence  reposed 
in  the  Baron,  that  I  have  often  heard  it  related,  that  in  a  few 
instances  when  the  heads  of  the  family  had  to  leave  home  for 
a  few  days,  the  family  and  domestic  affairs  were  left  in  his 
charge,  and  were  cheerfully  undertaken  by  him,  and  his  duties 
were  faithfully  attended  to  and  discharged.  On  occasions  ex 
ercising  a  parental  care  over  the  family,  and  a  more  rigid  dis 
cipline  over  the  soldiers  and  officers  under  his  command. 
I  might  add  more  concerning  him  if  it  were  necessary ;  enough 
has  been  said  to  give  an  idea  of  his  general  character,  and 
the  friendship  that  existed  between  him  and  the  family. 


LETTER  XIV 
OTHER  DISTINGUISHED  FOREIGNERS 

MONG  the  foreigners  that  arrived  at  Valley  Forge 
in  company  with  Baron  DeKalb,  one  of  the  most 
noted  was  Lafayette,  who,  having  been  wounded 
at  the  battle  of  Brandywine,  did  not  come  with  the 
main  body  of  the  army,  but  remained  in  order  to 
recover  from  his  wound,  and  if  I  mistake  not,  somewhere  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  battle  ground.  He  took  up  his  quar 
ters  at  the  house  of  Samuel  Havard,  about  two  miles  south  of 
Headquarters,  on  the  Valley  Creek,  and  remained  there  during 
the  residue  of  the  campaign.  He  used  frequently  to  visit  De 
Kalb  at  his  quarters,  which  introduced  the  Marquis  to  an  ac 
quaintance  with  my  grandfather's  family.  Of  the  other  dis 
tinguished  ones  were  Pulaski  and  Kosciusko,  celebrated  Polish 
officers ;  the  first  was  slain  at  the  battle  of  Savannah,  and  the 
second  some  years  after  the  war  returned  to  his  native  coun 
try,  and  was  commander-in-chief  of  the  armies  of  Poland  at 
the  time  of  their  final  overthrow,  at  the  battle  of  the  bridge  of 
Prague,  by  the  combined  armies  of  Russia,  Austria  and  Prus 
sia,  and  with  the  fall  of  whom  perished  the  liberties  of  Poland, 
as  Campbell  the  poet,  in  his  vivid  description  of  it,  has  ob 
served, 

"Hope  for  a  season  bade  the  world  farewell, 
And  freedom  shrieked  as  Kosciusko  fell." 

Duportale  and  Duponceau,  French  officers  of  whom  I  may 
hereafter  take  some  notice,  Baron  Steuben  and  Dubryson, 
Prussian  officers,  and  many  others  that  I  have  heard  of,  some 
of  whose  names  I  have  heard,  and  others  I  have  not  heard,  or  if 
I  heard,  cannot  now  recollect;  neither  is  it  very  material,  as 
the  most  of  them  were  not  so  conspicuous  as  those  above  no 
ticed.  I  shall  therefore  pass  them  by  at  this  time. 

DUBRYSON'S  CAVE 

Dubryson,  who  was  the  particular  friend  of  DeKalb  during 
the  time  he  was  there,  dwelt  in  a  cave  on  the  premises  and 
near  the  house  of  my  grandfather,  the  foundation  of  which  re 
mained  until  1811,  being  for  many  years  used  as  a  place  to 
break  flax  in.  That  year  the  present  mansion  house  on  the 
farm  was  erected  and  the  foundation  of  the  cave  filled  up,  and 
a  part  of  the  ground  now  forming  the  front  yard  covers  the 
site  of  Dubryson's  cave.  Pulaski  I  have  understood  (since 
writing  a  former  letter)  after  his  arrival  had  his  quarters  in 
the  house  of  John  Beaver,  with  the  widow  and  family;  John 
Beaver  died  a  short  time  previous  to  the  arrival  of  the  army. 
The  others  might  have  had  their  quarters  in  huts  in  the  en- 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  71 

campment,  as  I  never  heard  of  any  of  them  having  them  at  any 
of  the  houses  in  the  neighborhood.  They  all  used  to  visit  Baron 
DeKalb  at  his  quarters,  as  I  have  been  informed  by  different 
members  of  the  family.  When  I  was  between  eight  and  nine 
years  of  age,  having  had  frequent  occasion  to  pass  through 
the  encampment  ground  with  my  father,  and  in  one  of  these 
he  pointed  out  to  me  the  foundations  of  a  large  hut,  and  told 
me  it  had  been  occupied  as  the  quarters  of  Baron  Steuben. 
This  was  on  the  farm  of  Maurice  Stephens,  now  belonging  to 
William  Henry,  one  of  the  present  representatives  in  the  Gen 
eral  Assembly  from  the  county  of  Montgomery,  and  on  the 
same  farm  on  which  General  Huntingdon  was  quartered.  He 
at  the  same  time  facetiously  observed  that  the  place  over 
which  we  were  then  passing  was  called  Steuben's  Kitchen, 
from  an  incident  that  occurred  when  he  took  possession  of  it, 
which  he  then  related  to  me,  nearly  as  follows : 

STEUBEN'S  KITCHEN 

The  Baron  was  a  man  of  wealth  and  something  of  an 
epicure,  had  brought  with  him  from  Europe  a  man  who  was  a 
professed  cook,  the  Baron  possibly  expecting  to  live  in  the 
same  style  and  fare  as  sumptuously  as  he  had  in  his  own  coun 
try.  If  so  he  met  with  disappointment.  When  the  cook  went 
to  prepare  dinner,  on  inquiring  for  the  kitchen  and  cooking 
utensils,  was  directed  to  a  fire  outside  the  hut,  around  which 
forks  were  driven  in  the  ground,  and  from  poles  placed  upon 
them  were  pieces  of  meat  suspended  by  strings,  hanging  be 
fore  the  fire  to  roast;  and  was  told  that  the  place  where  the 
fire  was  burning  was  the  kitchen,  and  the  strings  by  which  the 
pieces  of  meat  were  suspended,  the  cooking  utensils.  The  cook 
replied  that  the  services  of  a  man  of  his  abilities  were  not  re 
quired  in  America,  and  he  would  return  to  Europe.  He  soon 
after  quitted  the  service,  and  returned  home  to  employ  his 
talents  there,  not  relishing  Steuben's  Kitchen.  Numerous 
other  anecdotes  and  reminiscences  of  that  period  that  I  have 
often  heard  related,  many  of  them  by  persons  who  witnessed 
them,  might  be  related  were  they  deemed  of  sufficient  import 
ance  to  claim  the  attention  of  my  readers;  the  most  of  them 
will  therefore  be  omitted,  together  with  many  other  incidents 
that  occurred  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  encampment  during 
the  time  of  its  continuance  there,  as  the  recital  of  them  would 
be  tedious,  and  requires  more  time  that  I  can  now  give  the 
subject. 

SULLIVAN'S  BRIDGE 

In  a  former  number,  I  mentioned  the  place  where  Sullivan's 
men  were  stationed,  and  promised  to  give  some  further  infor 
mation  concerning  it.  As  before  noticed,  they  were  placed  on 


72  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

the  river  Schuylkill,  between  Headquarters  and  Fatland  Ford. 
During  the  time  of  the  encampment  at  the  place,  Sullivan  and 
his  hardy  New  England  boys  constructed  a  bridge  over  the 
river,  in  order  to  facilitate  their  passage  across  in  case  they 
should  be  compelled  to  make  a  hasty  retreat  from  the  place, 
and  to  afford  them  more  ready  means  of  obtaining  necessaries 
from  the  opposite  side.  This  was  done  in  the  spring  of  1778, 
by  building  piers  in  the  river  and  placing  timbers  upon  them 
in  a  rough  and  ready  manner.  What  method  they  took  to  erect 
these  pillars  in  the  channel  I  have  never  learned.  They  were 
placed  much  nearer  together  than  our  modern  bridges,  and 
the  span  formed  of  one  piece  of  timber,  extending  from  one 
pier  to  another.  The  foundations  of  these  pillars  are,  for 
aught  I  know,  still  remaining;  when  the  water  was  low  they 
could  be  distinctly  seen.  I  have  often  seen  them  previous  to 
the  river  being  made  navigable  by  slack  water  navigation; 
since  that  time,  the  water  being  raised  by  a  dam  constructed 
about  two  miles  lower  down  the  river,  they  are  covered  sev 
eral  feet  under  water,  and  the  only  object  to  mark  the  spot 
where  the  bridge  once  stood,  is  a  stone  placed  on  the  bank  op 
posite  the  place  with  the  inscription  on  it  of  "Sullivan's 
Bridge,  1778."  But  I  have  got  in  advance  of  my  narrative, 
and  I  must  return  to  Sullivan  and  his  men. 

It  has  been  several  times  noticed  in  former  communications, 
that  provisions  were  very  scarce  during  that  winter,  to  which 
we  may  also  add  that  various  means  were  resorted  to  in  order 
to  procure  them;  and  it  may  be  in  place  here  to  relate  a  cir 
cumstance  that  was  related  to  me,  of  the  means  made  use  of 
by  these  sturdy  New  Englanders  to  procure  food.  The  ac 
count  was  given  me  by  Henry  Pawling,  Esq.,  father  of  the  late 
Levi  Pawling,  of  Norristown,  an  eminent  lawyer,  for  many 
years  at  the  head  of  the  Montgomery  county  bar,  and  a  repre 
sentative  in  the  17th  Congress.  Henry  Pawling,  who,  at  the 
time  of  the  encampment,  owned  the  property  immediately  op 
posite  the  place,  and  who  resided  all  his  life  time  on  the  same 
farm,  informed  me  that  he  had  often  seen  them  during  the 
winter,  when  the  water  was  clear  and  not  frozen  over,  wading 
in  the  water,  braying  the  inclemency  of  the  weather  to  hunt 
muscles  for  food,  and  when  thus  engaged  they  would  jocosely 
observe  that  fresh  water  clams  made  good  soup. 

I  have  often  heard  a  story  related  concerning  the  bridge, 
before  removing  to  this  county,  and  since  my  residence  here, 
I  met  with  an  aged  man,  an  officer  in  the  Revolutionary  Army, 
who  was  encamped  there,  and  present  at  the  time  the  conver 
sation  took  place.  I  allude  to  General  Samuel  Smith,  late  of 
Buckingham  township,  deceased,  who  related  the  circumstance 
nearly  as  I  had  always  heard  it  from  others.  After  the  work 
was  finished,  Sullivan  invited  General  Washington  and  a  num- 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  73 

ber  of  other  officers,  with  some  people  of  the  neighborhood,  to 
come  and  see  it  and  take  a  walk  over  it.  A  number  of  the  offi 
cers  and  others  complied  with  the  request,  among  whom  was 
David  Stephens,  who,  residing  near  the  place,  was  probably 
better  acquainted  with  the  freshets  that  occurred  in  the  river, 
and  particularly  those  upon  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice,  than 
any  of  them  present,  was  asked  by  Sullivan  his  opinion  of  the 
stability  of  the  bridge,  and  how  long  he  supposed  it  would 
stand,  informed  him  that  it  might  possibly  stand  till  the  next 
ice  flood,  but  he  was  certain  that  upon  the  next  breaking  up 
of  the  ice,  if  accompanied  by  a  heavy  flood,  it  would  be  car 
ried  off.  Sullivan,  who  was  rather  profane  in  his  language, 
though  in  other  respects  an  amiable  and  benevolent  man,  re 
plied  in  language  I  shall  not  repeat,  his  assurance  of  the  dur 
ability  of  his  structure  by  positively  declaring  that  all  the  ice 
floods  the  ever  were  or  would  be  in  the  Schuylkill  would  not 
ever  be  able  to  destroy  it.  It  stood  during  the  ensuing  sum 
mer,  but  at  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice  at  the  close  of  the  next 
winter,  it  was,  with  the  exception  of  the  piers,  carried  away; 
and  thus  ended  Sullivan's  Bridge.  One  great  cause  of  its  be 
ing  so  soon  carried  off.  was  owing  to  its  not  being  sufficiently 
high  to  admit  the  water  and  ice  to  pass  under  it ;  and  the  ma 
terials  of  which  the  passage  was  composed  were  so  slightly 
put  together,  that  they  were  unable  either  to  stand  a  heavy 
pressure  or  a  sudden  rise  of  the  stream.  If  I  should  judge 
from  the  remains  of  the  piers,  I  should  say  the  bridge  was 
much  narrower  than  similar  structures  of  the  present  day, 
probably  not  more  than  tv/elve  feet  in  width;  three  pieces 
of  timber  extended  from  one  pier  to  another  across  the  stream, 
and  upon  these  were  laid  pieces  of  timber  for  flooring,  formed 
by  splitting  a  log  into  two  equal  parts,  the  flat  sides  turned  to 
wards  the  water,  and  fastened  to  the  sleepers  by  boring  holes 
through  them,  and  fastening  them  with  wooden  pins.  I  think 
I  have  heard  it  related  that*  during  the  time  of  the  encamp 
ment  the  river  did  not  rise  to  so  great  a  height  as  it  generally 
did  during  the  winter,  that  the  ice  and  snow  gradually  melted 
off,  without  doing  much  damage,  which  may  have  been  the 
cause  of  Sullivan's  confidence  in  the  durability  of  his  bridge, 
which  subsequently  proved  futile. 

I  shall  now  draw  the  present  communication  to  a  close, 
by  observing  that  in  my  next  I  shall  have  occasion  to  refer  to 
some  occurrences  that  took  place  during  the  time  of  the  en 
campment,  and  also  to  have  reference  to  the  surrounding  coun 
try  after  the  close  of  the  winter,  and  while  the  soldiers  re 
mained  there  in  order  to  show,  if  possible,  the  dreary  pros 
pect  that  presented  itself,  and  the  discouragement  under 
which  the  inhabitants  labored. 


LETTER    XIV 
SUFFERINGS  OF  CIVILIANS 

HE  commencement  of  the  year  1778  was  to  people 
residing  in  the  vicinity  of  Valley  Forge,  and  to 
the  army  encamped  there,  one  of  deep  interest, 
the  remembrance  of  which  was  never  erased  from 
the  minds  of  those  who  passed  through  that  try 
ing  season,  and  were  of  sufficient  age  to  recollect  them.  Those 
who  were  residents  of  the  neighborhood,  and  engaged  in  the 
active  duties  of  life,  felt  the  severe  effects  of  having  the  army 
encamped  in  their  borders,  on  account  of  the  losses  they  sus 
tained,  on  account  of  requisitions  that  were  forcibly  made 
upon  them  for  necessaries  for  the  army ;  while  the  soldiers  suf 
fered  more  than  language  can  describe,  from  the  combined 
effects  of  hunger,  cold,  sickness,  want  of  clothing  and  almost 
everything  essential  to  either  comfort  or  convenience.  The 
consequence  was  that  of  a  general  distraint  being  made  upon 
all  persons  residing  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  fruits  of  their 
labor,  and  the  products  of  their  mills  and  farms,  for  the  sup 
port  of  the  great  body  of  men  encamped  there — the  number 
being  about  eleven  thousand — all  of  whom  had  to  be  fed  and 
otherwise  provided  with  the  necessaries  of  life.  In  effecting 
these  objects  the  country  soon  became  exhausted  of  provisions, 
the  timberland  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  encampment 
was  soon  cleared  off,  the  fences  destroyed,  the  stock  and 
poultry  taken  for  the  use  of  the  army,  and  frequently  by  theft. 
It  is  an  old  adage  that  necessity  knows  no  law ;  and  the  officers 
and  soldiers  at  that  time,  and  under  the  exigency  of  the  oc 
casion,  seem  to  have  been  governed  by  it.  The  result  was  that 
many  families,  who,  if  not  previously  wealthy,  were  in  good 
circumstances,  and  enjoying  full  and  plenty  of  the  real  neces 
saries  and  comforts  of  life,  were  reduced  to  almost  actual 
want. 

SOLDIERS  AS  BEASTS  OF  BURDEN 

Before  the  opening  of  spring,  the  fuel  necessary  for  keep 
ing  the  half  clad  warm  was  so  far  exhausted  that  a  further 
supply  had  to  be  carried  or  brought  from  a  distance ;  and  such 
was  the  scarcity  of  the  means  of  conveyance  at  the  time,  that 
it  had  to  be  brought  to  the  camp  by  manual  labor.  Often  have 
I  heard  people,  who  remembered  the  time,  mention  their  hav 
ing  seen  the  soldiers,  particularly  those  from  the  Eastern 
States,  and  some  of  the  subordinate  officers,  yoke  themselves 
together  like  oxen,  and  on  temporary  sleds  formed  for  the 
occasion,  haul  fuel  in  this  manner  from  a  considerable  dis- 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  75 

tance,  eight,  ten,  or  more  of  them  forming  a  team,  and  using 
grape  vines  to  draw  them  by  instead  of  ropes.  And  when  the 
provisions  and  other  necessaries  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  place  became  in  like  manner  exhausted,  requisitions  had 
to  be  made  from  those  living  more  remote  from  the  scene; 
and  foraging  parties  were  accordingly  sent  to  scour  various 
portions  of  country,  in  order  to  secure  sustenance  for  the 
famishing  army;  and  when  thus  obtained,  the  conveyance  of 
them  to  the  place  was  often  attended  with  great  trouble  and 
inconvenience,  so  that  it  is  evident  that  much  suffering  and 
distress,  both  to  the  people  and  the  army  were  the  attendant 
consequence. 

HOSPITALS 

Yet,  under  all  these  trials  they  spent  a  period  of  near  seven 
months,  during  which  time,  as  before  noticed,  the  small-pox 
was  introduced  into  the  camp,  and  many  died  from  the  effects 
of  it;  and  hospitals  and  infirmaries  had  to  be  provided  for 
those  laboring  under  the  disease.  Previous  to  the  encamp 
ment  at  the  place,  the  sick  and  those  that  had  been  wounded 
at  the  battles  of  Brandywine,  Germantown  and  the  massacre 
of  Paoli  have  been  removed  to  Lancaster  and  Ephrata  in  Lan 
caster  county,  Reading  in  Berks  county,  the  neighborhood  of 
the  Yellow  Springs  in  Chester  county,  and  other  places,  where 
hospitals  had  been  provided  for  them.  For  the  accommoda 
tions  of  those  taken  sick  in  the  camp,  the  Friends'  and  Bap 
tists'  meeting  houses  in  the  Valley  were  taken  possession  of, 
and  used  for  hospitals  and  infirmaries.  For  those  laboring 
under  contagious  diseases,  temporary  ones  were  made  a  short 
distance  beyond  the  lines  of  the  camp,  the  location  of  one  in 
particular  I  can  point  out;  and  many,  both  soldiers  and  offi 
cers,  were  placed  in  barns  and  private  houses.  Having  thus 
passed  through  the  winter,  under  all  these  disadvantages, 
spring  as  usual  opened  with  all  her  beauty ;  but  such  was  the 
state  of  the  country,  that  no  agricultural  business  could  be 
carried  on ;  the  encampment  still  remained  there ;  the  crops  of 
winter  grain  that  had  been  sown  the  preceding  fall,  were 
destroyed;  the  fruitful  fields  laid  waste;  their  stock  or  farm 
ing  utensils  lost  or  carried  off ;  and  nothing  but  the  most 
dreary  prospect  presented  itself,  and  the  inhabitants  and  their 
families  had  to  depend  upon  other  sources  for  a  supply  of 
the  common  necessaries  of  life. 

I  may  also  add,  that  in  addition  to  that  portion  of  the 
army  who  came  here  with  the  commander-in-chief ,  re-inforce- 
ments  were  arriving  at  different  times  during  the  campaign 
from  the  northern  army,  as  their  services  after  the  capture 
of  Burgoyne,  were  not  so  necessary  in  that  section  of  country, 


76  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

they  were  sent  to  augment  the  forces  at  this  place.  This 
caused  an  additional  demand  for  things  necessary  for  their 
support,  and  increased  the  burden  of  the  already  suffering  in 
habitants  of  the  place.  The  meeting  house  belonging  to  the 
Society  of  Friends  in  the  Valley  (the  main  part  of  the  build 
ing  still  remaining)  being  occupied  by  the  army  for  a  hospi 
tal,  they  were  prevented  from  holding  their  meetings  at  the 
place ;  but  they  assembled  on  their  stated  meeting  days  at  the 
house  of  Isaac  Walker,  near  the  place,  often  having  company 
of  some  of  the  officers,  particularly  Gen.  Greene,  who  had 
been  a  member  of  the  Society,  and  who,  with  others  that  at 
tended,  always  conducted  themselves  in  an  orderly  and  becom 
ing  manner. 

ABOUT  SOME  OF  THE  OFFICERS 

The  officers  who  were  quartered  in  different  places  in  the 
neighborhood,  of  whom  no  special  notice  has  been  taken,  I  have 
always  heard  them  spoken  of  as  men  of  agreeable  manners  and 
social  dispositions,  though  some  of  them  had  their  peculiarities 
and  eccentricities,  yet  all  endeavored  to  render  the  situation 
of  the  families  as  comfortable  as  lay  in  their  power,  and  to 
prevent  as  little  damage  as  possible  being  done  to  their 
property,  so  that  their  company  might  be  as  easy  and  agree 
able  as  the  circumstances  under  which  they  were  intruded 
upon  would  permit.  Of  the  commander-in-chief ,  nothing  need 
be  said,  as  his  fame  in  public  and  private  life  needs  no  further 
eulogium;  and  abler  pens  have  done  justice  to  him,  and  his 
memory  lives  in  the  hearts  of  a  grateful  people.  Of  the 
others  I  shall  notice  only  a  few;  among  these  are  Greene, 
Wayne  and  Lafayette,  of  whom  I  have  heard  most  notice 
taken. 

Greene  was  very  affable  in  his  conversation,  of  agreeable 
manners,  and  handsome  person,  rather  under  the  middle  size, 
having  the  shrewdness  peculiar  to  the  people  of  New  England ; 
his  health  was  delicate,  but  he  preserved  it  by  his  temperate 
and  regular  habits. 

Wayne,  at  that  time,  was  about  thirty-two  years  of  age, 
healthy  and  active,of  strong  muscular  powers,  a  Pennsyl 
vania  farmer  by  profession,  rather  above  the  middle  size,  with 
a  fine  ruddy  countenance,  and  lively,  expressive  eyes.  Though 
called  Mad  Anthony,  on  account  of  his  daring  courage  when 
engaged  in  battle,  his  firmness  of  character  and  determined 
resolution,  united  with  a  hasty  temper;  yet  in  all  his  inter- 
couse  he  was  affable  and  agreeable,  not  only  to  the  inhabi 
tants  of  the  neighborhood,  but  to  the  officers  and  men  under 
his  command,  and  remarkable  for  his  amiable  behavior  and 
polite  and  accomplished  manners  in  private  life.  He  was  a 


COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 

George  Washington 


MAJOR  GENERALS 


DeKalb 
Greene 
Lafayette 
Lee 


Mifflin 
Steuben 
Sterling 
Sullivan 


BRIGADIER  GENERALS 


Armstrong 

DuPortale 

Glover 

Huntingdon 

Knox 

Learned 

Mclntosh 

Maxwell 

Muhlenberg 


Patterson 

Poor 

Scott 

Smallwood 

Varnum 

Wayne 

Weedon 

Woodford 


The   Generals    of   the    Continental    Army    at 
Valley  Forge  as  given  on  the  National  Arch. 


Naked  and  starving  as  they  are 

we  cannot  enough  admire 
the  incomparable  patience  and  fidelity 

of  the  soldiery 
— Washington  at  Valley  Forge,  Feb.  16,  1778. 

And  here 

in  this  place 

of  sacrifice 

in  this  valley  of  humiliation 

in  this  valley  of  the  shadow 

of  that  death  out  of  which 

the  life  of  America  rose 

regenerate  and  free 

let  us  believe 
with  an  abiding  faith 

that  to  them 
union  will  seem  as  dear 

and  liberty  as  sweet 

and  progress  as  glorious 

as  they  were  to  our  fathers 

and  are  to  you  and  me 

and  that  the  institutions 

which  have  made  us  happy 

preserved  by  the 
virtue  of  our  children 

shall  bless 

the  remotest  generation 
of  the  time  to  come. 

— Henry  Armitt  Brown. 

The  Nation,  on  her  Arch,  at  Valley  Forge,  through 
two  of  her  Sons. 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  77 

man  of  good  education,  an  excellent  mathematician,  and  for 
several  years  previous  to  the  war,  while  residing  on  his  pa 
ternal  estate,  near  Paoli,  following  the  occupation  of  a  farmer, 
and  if  I  mistake  not  of  a  tanner.  He  had  also  been  much  en 
gaged  as  a  practical  surveyor,  through  different  sections  of 
the  country  around  Valley  Forge,  which  gave  him  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  location  and  people  of  the  neighborhood,  to 
many  of  whom  he  was  related,  his  place  of  residence  being  in 
Easttown  township,  Chester  county,  about  six  miles  from  the 
encampment.  I  may  probably  give  some  further  notice  con 
cerning  it  in  a  future  number. 

Lafayette  at  this  time  was  young  not  more  than  twenty- 
one  years  of  age.  He  was  married  and  had  left  his  wife  in 
France.  I  have  heard  it  said  by  those  who  have  had  an  oppor 
tunity  of  being  acquainted  with  him,  that  he  was  a  very  hand 
some  person,  with  a  fine,  open  and  intelligent  countenance,  his 
hair  red,  his  movements  light  and  active,  though  not  fully  re 
covered  from  the  wound  he  received  at  the  battle  of  Brandy- 
wine,  and  possessing  all  the  open  frankness,  vivacity  and  col 
loquial  powers  so  peculiar  of  the  people  of  France.  I  may  in 
some  future  numbers  have  occasion  to  have  some  further  ref- 
ence  to  him. 

Lee  and  Con  way,  both  foreigners,  the  one  a  native  of  Eng 
land,  the  other  of  Ireland,  were  remarkable  for  their  high 
and  domineering  spirits,  and  Mclntosh  for  many  singular 
peculiarities  and  credulity.  I  might  add  much  more  concern 
ing  Sullivan,  Mifflin,  Muhlenberg,  Potter  and  many  others, 
whose  amiable  dispositions  and  gentlemanly  conduct,  rendered 
them  agreeable  companions  in  the  different  families  where 
they  were  quartered ;  and  when  they  left  the  place,  the  most 
of  them  left  a  favorable  impression  and  an  esteem  for  them  in 
after  life.  To  dwell  longer  on  the  subject  would  be  a  mere 
repetition;  I  shall  now  pass  from  it  to  other  matters. 

In  collecting  these  accounts,  and  endeavoring  to  recall  to 
recollection  what  I  have  heard  in  days  that  are  past  and  gone 
forever,  I  find  many  things  occur  to  recall  to  remembrance 
facts  that  I  have  heard  related  of  that  period,  by  many  per 
sons  who  were  witnesses  to  the  passing  events  of  the  time, 
which,  to  use  an  oft  quoted  phrase,  "tried  men's  souls,"  all  of 
whom  with  one  exception  are  now  no  longer  in  this  state  of 
existence,  the  most  of  which  I  would  glady  insert,  but  they 
crowd  upon  my  mind  to  so  great  an  extent,  that  I  must  omit 
the^  most  of  them,  some  of  which  had  better  be  buried  in  utter 
oblivion.  I  have  now  given  an  account  of  many  of  the  prin 
cipal  events  that  transpired  in  connection  with  the  encamp 
ment — of  the  distressed  situation  of  the  army  upon  their  ar 
rival  at  the  place,  the  complicated  sufferings  and  hardships 
they  underwent  during  the  time  they  continued  there,  of  the 


78  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

combination  to  remove  Washington  from  the  command  of  the 
army,  and  many  other  matters  that  occurred  previous  to  and 
about  the  time  of  their  arrival,  and  during  their  continuance 
there.  I  now  leave  to  the  imagination  of  my  readers  to  sup 
ply  the  deficiency,  if  any.  And  as  there  are  yet  some  occur- 
ences  of  the  time  that  may  justly  claim  further  notice,  I  shall 
now  draw  this  communication  to  a  conclusion,  and  in  my  next 
I  shall  give  an  account  of  some  few  transactions  that  occurred 
at  the  place,  as  I  have  no  recollection  of  ever  seeing  them  pub 
lished,  that  may  possibly  be  of  some  interest  to  persons  of  the 
present  day,  especially  such  as  feel  an  interest  in  obtaining 
information  concerning  that  interesting  time  that  our  ances 
tors  passed  through,  to  purchase  the  freedom  and  liberty  we 
now  enjoy. 


LETTER   XVI 
ALARMS  AND  LOSSES 

S  MENTIONED  in  my  former  letters,  the  encamp 
ment  continued  here  near  seven  months,  the  move 
ments  and  conditions  of  it,  remained  very  much 
the  same  as  nothing  of  much  consequence  occur 
red  during  the  time,  to  disturb  or  change  the  daily 
monotony.  There  were  occasionally  during  this  season,  some 
alarms  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy,  which  threw  the  offi 
cers  and  soldiers  into  active  preparations  to  be  prepared  to 
receive  them,  and  in  some  few  instances  a  part  of  them  went 
out  to  meet  them,  but  they  all  turned  out  to  be  without 
foundation.  They  also  had  the  effect  of  producing  much 
fear  and  consternation  among  the  people.  Such  was  the 
state  of  both  contending  powers  at  this  juncture  of  time, 
that  neither  of  them  felt  much  disposition  to  engage  in  an 
attack  upon  the  other,  and  they  remained  quiet  in  their  re 
spective  positions. 

After  passing  through  the  winter,  less  fuel  and  clothing 
were  necessary,  and  through  the  efforts  of  Congress,  and  the 
persevering  enterprise  of  many  of  the  officers  of  the  army, 
the  Commissary  Department  was  better  supplied  with  pro 
visions  and  other  military  stores,  so  that  the  suffering  of  the 
soldiers  was,  in  some  measure,  mitigated. 

The  people,  as  already  noticed,  suffered  severe  losses  on  ac 
count  of  their  hay,  grain,  fodder,  horses,  cattle,  swine, 
poultry,  and  in  fact  almost  everything  they  had,  being  taken 
for  the  use  of  the  army.  The  property  thus  taken 
from  them  by  officers  acting  under  the  authority  of  the  su 
perior  officers  of  the  army,  they  were  paid  for,  either  by  cer 
tificates  upon  the  Continental  Congress,  or  in  the  Continental 
money  of  the  day.  The  latter  soon  died  in  the  hands  of 
many  of  them,  and  ended  in  a  total  loss. 

THE  HANGING  OF  A  SPY 

During  the  time  of  this  campaign,  a  person,  I  think  from 
the  city  of  Philadelphia,  was  found  in  the  camp  acting  in  the 
capacity  of  a  spy  for  the  enemy,  and  he  was  very  summarily 
tried  and  executed  by  a  military  tribunal.  The  place  where 
the  gallows,  on  which  he  was  hanged,  stood  was  shown  to 
me  about  twenty-five  years  ago,  by  an  old  man  whom  I  over 
took  on  the  road  near  the  place.  He  was  a  stranger  to  me. 
His  residence,  he  said,  was  at  Pittsgrove,  in  the  state  of  New 
Jersey,  that  he  was  a  private  in  Potter's  brigade,  and  had 


80  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

been  encamped  there,  and  had  witnessed  the  execution;  he 
also  mentioned  the  name  of  the  individual  who  had  been 
the  victim.  I  had  previously  heard  of  a  person  of  that  name 
being  executed  as  a  spy  during  the  time,  and  the  place  had 
been  pointed  out  to  me,  which  was  the  identical  one  men 
tioned  by  the  old  man  I  met  with,  and  I  could  not  but  admire 
his  retentive  memory,  that  after  a  lapse  of  forty-seven 
years,  he  could  so  clearly  point  out  the  place  of  its  location. 
This  circumstance,  together  with  other  things  that  he  re 
lated  to  me  at  the  time,  fully  satisfied  me  that  he  had  been 
one  of  the  number  encamped  there,  and  one  that  had  suf 
fered  severly  at  the  time,  and  was  entitled  to  a  pension, 
that  he  was  then  endeavoring  to  obtain. 

To  satisfy  myself  more  fully  on  this  head,  I  lately  made 
inquiry  of  my  aunt,  now  the  only  one  of  the  family  living 
that  witnessed  the  time,  and  who  well  remembers  the  pass 
ing  events  of  that  day,  and  she  fully  confirmed  the  account 
given  me  by  the  old  man.  She  informed  me  that  she  well 
remembers  the  day  of  the  execution,  and  of  seeing  the  gal 
lows  with  a  portion  of  the  rope  upon  it,  which  remained 
there  for  a  considerable  time  after  the  departure  of  the 
army,  and  that  she  was  often  at  the  place  while  it  stood 
there.  It  was  erected  on  the  land  of  David  Stephens,  a  little 
north  of  the  Gulf  Road,  near  the  corner  of  a  piece  of  land 
known  by  the  name,  "The  Fifty  Acres, "  being  near  the 
corner  of  the  line  between  Chester  and  Montgomery  coun 
ties.  The  land  on  which  it  stood  now  belongs  to  William 
Henry.  I  have  purposely  omitted  giving  the  name  of  the 
individual  who  was  executed,  as  there  are  many  of  the  same 
name  living  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  within  the  cir 
cle  of  my  acquaintance,  but  I  cannot  say  whether  any  of 
them  are  connected  with  him  or  not.  I  have,  therefore, 
avoided  giving  it  to  the  public,  but  have  furnished  the 
printers  with  it. 

A  DUEL 

While  the  army  remained  here,  a  duel  took  place,  between 
a  Lieutenant  Green,  from  New  England,  and  an  officer  from 
the  South,  whose  name  and  rank  I  have  now  forgotten. 
What  it  was  that  led  to  the  rash  and  foolish  act  I  have  never 
understood.  The  place  of  meeting  was  abnut  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  northeast  of  where  the  gallows  stood,  on  land  then  be 
longing  to  John  Moore.  In  the  engagement  Greene  was 
wounded,  and  died  soon  after,  and  was  buried  at  the 
Friends'  burial  ground,  at  the  Valley  Meeting-house,  with 
the  honors  of  war  (so  called).  My  aunt,  the  venerable 
Elizabeth  Reese,  the  person  just  noticed,  now  in  the  82nd 
year  of  her  age,  says  she  well  remembers  seeing  the  proces 
sion  passing  through  their  orchard,  a  little  north  of  the 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  81 

house,  with  muffled  drums,  and  moving  slowly  to  the  tune 
of  the  dead  march.  A  blanket  had  been  procured  in  the 
neighborhood,  in  which  his  remains  were  wrapt,  and  thus 
consigned  to  the  grave. 

I  have  heard  my  grandmother  say  that  after  his  death, 
request  was  made  of  her  for  a  sheet  to  bury  him  in,  but 
such  was  her  stript  condition,  that  she  could  not  comply 
with  their  request.  They  then  called  on  a  woman  named 
Mary  Pugh,  from  whom  they  obtained  the  blanket.  Twenty- 
eight  years  after,  in  digging  a  grave  at  the  place,  his  bones 
were  disinterred.  The  blanket  in  which  they  had  been 
wrapped,  when  discovered,  appeared  in  a  state  of  preserva 
tion,  but  on  coming  to  the  air  it  fell  to  pieces.  I  saw  the 
bones  soon  after  they  were  discovered,  and  well  remember 
the  soundness  of  the  teeth ;  the  blanket  I  did  not  see,  but  was 
informed  of  the  circumstances,  and  whose  bones  they  were, 
by  Isaac  Walker,  a  man  of  unblemished  character  and  repu 
tation,  who  had  charge  of  the  graveyard  at  the  time,  and 
who  resided  near  the  place  at  the  time  of  the  interment,  and 
who  was  always  renowned  for  correct  observations  and  re 
tentive  memory. 

SOME  ADDENDA 

I  shall  now  make  some  addition  to  the  former  accounts, 
the  information  having  been  recently  obtained,  and  which 
would  more  properly  belong  to  my  eighth  and  eleventh  letters. 
In  my  eighth,  I  mentioned  never  having  met  with  any  account 
of  General  Wheedon  in  any  accounts  of  the  Revolutionary 
War,  or  American  biography.  A  few  days  since,  I  found  in  the 
Pineville  library,  a  work  entitled,  "Washington  and  the  Gen 
erals  of  the  Revolution,"  in  which  there  is  a  short  notice  of 
him,  the  whole  of  which  is  contained  in  about  twenty  lines 
duodecimo  pages,  and  taken  from  the  notes  of  an  English 
traveler,  made  about  the  commencement  of  the  Revolution, 
who  speaks  of  having  lodged  at  his  tavern.  The  account  given 
concerning  him  there,  I  do  not  think  fully  correct.  He  calls 
him  George  Wheedon.  His  name,  I  always  understood,  was 
Joseph  Wheedon,  and  the  cause  of  his  resigning  his  office  and 
returning  home,  is  differently  stated  from  what  I  have  always 
heard  it  stated  from  correct  information. 

In  my  eleventh  letter,  some  mention  was  made  of  officers 
being  quartered  at  the  houses  of  Samuel  Jones  and  Samuel 
Richard,  but  could  not  give  positive  information  concerning 
them.  In  the  library  at  Pineville,  I  also  met  with  a  history 
of  the  war  of  independence,  in  which  is  an  engraved  map  of 
the  encampment  at  Valley  Forge.  The  outlines  of  the  encamp 
ment,  the  fortifications  and  breastworks,  the  courses  of  the 


82  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

river  and  stream,  and  many  other  things  are  correctly  laid 
down ;  but  the  plan  of  the  arrangements  of  the  different  posi 
tions,  and  the  quarters  of  the  general  officers,  are  not  at  all 
as  I  have  heard  them  represented  by  persons  who  had  every 
means  in  their  power  to  obtain  correct  information  at  the  time, 
and  most  of  them  from  actual  knowledge.  In  that  map,  Gen 
erals  Woodford,  Scott,  Clever,  Sernea,  and  Patterson,  are  rep 
resented  as  being  stationed  on  the  front  line.  I  never  heard  of 
the  last  three  being  quartered,  or  the  brigades  under  their  com 
mand  stationed  anywhere  in  the  neighborhood,  but  still  they 
may  have  been.  The  two  first  I  now  remember,  upon  seeing 
their  positions  laid  down  upon  the  map,  to  have  heard  that 
these  were  the  officers  that  were  quartered  at  the  houses  of 
Samuel  Jones  and  Samuel  Richards,  Woodford  at  the  latter, 
and  Scott  at  the  former  place,  which  is  now  occupied  as  a 
hotel,  known  by  the  name  of  Keugel's  Tavern,  on  the  State 
Road,  leading  from  New  Hope,  through  Doylestown,  Norris- 
town,  and  West  Chester  to  the  Maryland  line,  about  six  miles 
from  Norristown  and  between  two  and  three  miles 
from  Valley  Forge.  I  now  have  a  perfect  recollection  of  the 
two  last  mentioned  officers  being  quartered  at  these  places, 
the  relation  having  been  given  me  by  a  daughter  of  the  said 
Samuel  Richards,  the  late  Elizabeth  Walker,  who  died  about 
sixteen  month  ago,  in  the  84th  year  of  her  age. 

In  my  next  I  shall  give  you  an  account  of  some  persons 
who  were  here  during  the  time  of  the  campaign,  who  have 
since  filled  some  very  important  and  conspicuous  stations  in 
the  history  of  our  country,  and  discharged  important  trusts 
and  filled  high  offices  in  government,  and  some  other  matters 
that  may  be  of  interest  to  at  least  some  of  my  readers. 


LETTER  XVII 
"BENEVOLENT  FEMALES" 

N  THIS  letter  I  hope  to  bring  to  a  conclusion  the 
greater  part  of  the  account  I  shall  give  of  the  en 
campment.  Much  more  might  be  added,  as  I  have 
heard  many  other  things  related  that  would  be 
worthy  of  notice,  particularly  the  kindness  and 
compassion  with  which  the  poor  soldiers  were  treated,  by 
many  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  neighborhood — how  they  were 
often  supplied  with  food  and  other  necessaries  by  the  charity 
of  the  people,  and  their  wants  administered  to  as  far  as  ability 
was  afforded.  If  necessary  I  could  give  the  names  of  many 
benevolent  females,  at  the  houses  of  whom  some  of  the  general 
officers  were  quartered,  preparing  for  the  hungry  guards,  af 
ter  exposure  during  the  night,  a  comfortable  breakfast  in  the 
morning,  and  furnishing  them  with  stockings  and  other  nec 
essary  articles,  in  their  tried  situations,  to  protect  them  from 
the  cold;  but  to  particularize  them  and  their  charitable  acts 
would  exceed  the  limits  of  the  design  I  had  in  view  in  the 
commencement  of  the  work.  I  shall,  therefore,  pass  by 
the  most  of  them.  Among  them  there  are  a  few  that 
I  shall  slightly  notice.  These  are  Sarah  Walker,  Elizabeth 
Stephens,  Priscilla  Stephens,  Margaret  Beaver,  Elizabeth 
Moore  and  Jane  Moore.  The  first  two  were  dead  before 
my  time;  the  four  last  all  died  between  the  years 
1812  and  1820.  I  mention  these  not  because  there  were  no 
others  worthy  of  a  place  or  notice  here,  but  merely  to  inform 
my  readers  that  I  once  remember  to  have  seen  the  four  last 
meet  together,  about  thirty  years  after  the  campaign,  and  al 
though  they  fought  not  their  "battles  o'er  again,"  yet  they 
found  much  exercise  for  their  conversational  powers  in  dis 
coursing  of  the  events  at  the  time  of  the  campaign ;  and  al 
though  nearly  forty  years  have  elapsed  since  that  time,  yet 
the  lively  interest  I  took  in  listening  to  them  is  still  fresh  in 
my  memory. 

LATER  CELEBRITIES 

I  shall  now  proceed  to  give  some  notice  of  persons  who 
were  here  during  the  time,  who  have  risen  to  eminence  in  po 
litical  affairs,  and  filled  important  offices  in  civil  government. 
The  biographies  of  many  of  these  are  too  well  known  to  need 
a  repetition  in  a  work  like  this.  The  account  of  them  will, 
therefore,  be  very  brief. 


84  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

Among  these  were  two  persons,  who,  on  account  of  the  im 
portant  stations  they  have  since  filled,  and  some  other  circum 
stances  known  to  most  of  the  American  people,  which  have 
rendered  them  very  notorious,  viz.,  the  death  of  one,  and  the 
subsequent  dishonorable  life  and  neglected  death  of  the  other ; 
on  this  account  these  two  individuals  will  be  first  noticed. 
These  were  Alexander  Hamilton  and  Aaron  Burr — the  former 
one  of  the  aids  of  the  Commander-in-Chief,  and  his  reputed 
privy  counsellor;  the  latter  commanded  a  regiment  attached 
to  General  Varnum's  brigade. 

Of  those  that  were  there,  a  few  only  among  the  many 
can  be  enumerated :  among  these  were  Colonel  Trumbull,  more 
generally  known  as  one  of  the  first  historical  painters  in  the 
United  States.  He  was  also  one  of  the  aids  of  the  Commander- 
in-Chief  ;  and,  with  Hamilton  and  others,  stationed  near  or  at 
Headquarters;  Timothy  Pickering,  since  extensively  known 
in  the  National  Cabinet  and  the  House  of  Representatives; 
George  Clinton,  since  Vice  President  of  the  United  States; 
Henry  Dearborn,  Secretary  of  War  during  the  administration 
of  Thomas  Jefferson,  and  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  army  at 
the  commencement  of  the  War  of  1812,  and  since  minister  to 
Portugal;  Joseph  Hiester,  Governor  of  Pennsylvania,  elected 
in  the  year  1820 ;  Richard  Peters,  District  Judge  of  the  United 
States  Court  for  the  district  of  Pennsylvania;  Thomas  For 
rest,  a  member  of  Congress  for  the  city  and  county  of  Phila 
delphia,  in  the  Seventeenth  and  Eighteenth  Congresses; 
Thomas  Blount,  of  North  Carolina,  a  member  of  Congress, 
elected  to  a  seat  in  the  House  during  the  early  part  of  the  ad 
ministration  of  Washington,  and  successively  re-elected  dur 
ing  the  administrations  of  Adams,  Jefferson,  and  Madison,  un 
til  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  at  Washington  during 
the  early  part  of  the  year  1812 ;  and  many  others  whose  names 
I  might  mention,  and  others  that  I  have  forgotten ;  and,  there 
fore,  let  them  pass  without  any  further  observation. 

In  noticing  the  names  of  the  above  persons,  commissioned 
officers  of  the  army  only  were  taken  in  view. 

Among  the  privates  there  were  no  doubt  many  who  have 
since  risen  to  eminence  in  public  life,  who  were  unknown  even 
by  name  to  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  place.  But  there 
was  one  individual,  who  was  here  as  a  private  soldier,  in  the 
infantry,  suffering,  in  common  with  his  companions  in  arms, 
all  the  hardships  and  deprivations  that  have  been  so  often  de 
scribed,  who  has  since  risen  to  one  of  the  highest  gifts  in  the 
power  of  the  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  nation  to  bestow.  I  mean 
John  Marshall,  late  Chief  Justice  of  the  United  States. 

I  was  once  informed  by  John  Moore,  who  owned  the  land 
on  which  the  fort  bearing  his  name  was  erected,  and  who 
always  resided  on  the  same  farm,  and  at  the  time  of  the  cam- 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  85 

paign  must  have  been  more  than  twenty-one  years  of  age,  that 
during  the  time  James  Madison,  since  President  of  the  United 
states,  was  there  a  private  in  a  troop  of  cavalry,  that  he  had 
often  seen  him  during  the  time.  Not  having  in  my  possession 
any  biography  of  James  Madison,  and  having  no  recollection 
of  ever  having  in  all  the  accounts  I  have  read  of  him,  seen  any 
mention  made  of  his  having,  at  any  time  during  the  contest, 
entered  the  service  of  the  Continental  Army,  I  do  not  state 
this  as  a  positive  fact.  My  informant  was  a  man  of  credi 
bility,  but  he  might  have  been  mistaken  in  regard  to  the  per 
son.  I  heard  him  mention  the  circumstance  during  the  can 
vass  of  the  Presidential  election  of  1812,  between  James  Madi 
son  and  Dewitt  Clinton. 

Having  now  noticed  many  of  the  incidents  of  that  interest 
ing  period,  in  former  numbers,  I  may  here  be  allowed  to  intro 
duce  a  few  more  additional  remarks  concerning  the  encamp 
ment,  which  ought  more  properly  to  have  claimed  notice  in 
some  former  letters,  but  were  inadvertently  omitted.  These 
are  a  further  description  of  the  fortifications  and  an  account 
of  some  of  the  public  buildings  that  were  erected  and  used  for 
the  army ;  a  view  of  the  face  of  the  country,  as  I  have  heard  it 
represented  at  the  time  of  its  being  taken  possession  of  for 
the  use  of  the  army,  and  the  state  it  was  left  in  on  their  re 
moval. 

THE  FORTS 

The  breastworks  have  been  described.  The  forts  were 
formed  by  making  large  embankments  of  earth,  by  digging  a 
trench  about  eight  feet  wide  and  four  feet  deep,  the  earth  ex 
cavated  in  the  process  forming  the  embankment.  The  forts 
called  Moore's  Forts  on  the  northeast  extremity,  were  en 
closed  by  three  mounds,  on  four  sides,  with  a  small  exception 
on  the  northwest  side,  which  was  left  open  for  egress.  A  fort 
erected  near  the  house  of  David  Stephens,  was  constructed  on 
a  similar  plan,  except  that  the  place  of  egress  was  on  the 
southeast  side.  Those  that  were  surrounded  by  embankments 
on  every  side,  or  nearly  so,  were  in  the  form  of  a  trapezium, 
having  the  longest  line  on  the  side  from  which  they  had  most 
reason  to  expect  an  attack  from  the  enemy.  The  average 
length  of  the  lines,or  mounds  enclosing  them,  I  should  suppose 
varied  from  ten  to  sixteen  feet  in  length.  The  other  forts 
were  all  erected  in  the  same  way,  except  that,  if  I  rightly  recol 
lect,  they  were  enclosed  only  on  three  sides,  except  those  in 
the  centre,  which  were  more  strongly  entrenched  by  embank 
ments  on  every  side.  The  forts  known  as  John  Moore's  Fort 
and  David  Stephen's  Fort,  near  his  residence,  were  placed  on 
eminences  from  which  a  view  of  the  surrounding  country  on 
both  sides  of  the  river  could  be  commanded,  and  they  be  used 


86  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

to  prevent  the  enemy  crossing  the  river.  The  former  could 
also  be  used  to  check  the  progress  of  an  attack  on  the  same  side 
of  the  river  it  was  constructed.  Mordecai  Moore's  fort  could  be 
used  on  similar  occasions,  but  it  chiefly  commanded  a  view  of 
that  portion  of  country,  from  which  the  most  danger  of  an  at 
tack  was  contemplated,  as  it  lay  nearest  the  city  of  Philadel 
phia,  where  the  enemy  were  then  encamped.  The  others  on  the 
Rear  Line,  and  one  near  the  termination  of  the  breastwork  on 
the  Front  Line,  to  be  used  in  case  of  an  attack  by  a  circuitous 
route.  In  addition  to  these,  there  were  a  few  others  in  the 
centre  used  as  magazines,  and  intended  as  places  to  retreat  to, 
as  the  last  means  of  defense,  should  they  be  found  necessary. 

BAKE-HOUSE  AND  ARMORY 

A  public  bake-house  was  established  at  Valley  Forge,  in  the 
house  now  occupied  by  the  proprietor,  for  the  use  of  the  army ; 
but  this  was  insufficient  to  supply  the  whole  demand,  and  many 
poor  families  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  encampment  earned 
their  bread  by  baking  for  the  soldiers  and  some  officers,  not 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  bake-house. 

A  temporary  armory  was  erected  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Valley  Creek,  at  Valley  Forge,  and  used  for  the  purpose  of 
making  and  repairing  arms  for  the  use  of  the  army,  but  I 
never  heard  of  it  being  used  for  that  purpose  by  the  Conti 
nental  troops  after  their  departure  from  the  place.  It  stood 
near  the  site  of  the  old  knitting  mill. 

I  shall  now  conclude  this  letter,  by  observing  that  in  my 
next  I  shall  give  the  account,  as  promised,  of  the  appearance 
of  the  face  of  the  country,  at  the  time  of  their  taking  posses 
sion  of  it,  and  some  other  subjects  that  occurred  at  the  time. 


LETTER  XVIII 
PROVISION  STORE 

HE  LINES  of  the  encampment  did  not  extend  to  the 
westward  of  the  Valley  Forge  a  great  distance, 
not  exceeding  a  mile;  as  little  danger  was  felt  of 
an  attack  from  that  quarter.  At  the  house  of  a 
person  named  Frederic  Geerhart,  near  the  west 
ern  line,  a  general  depository  or  provision  store  for  the  use  of 
the  army  was  established.  My  father,  during  the  most  of  the 
campaign,  had  the  charge  or  superintendency  of  it.  Similar 
ones  may  have  been  established  in  other  places,  but  I  have  no 
recollection  of  ever  hearing  of  any  of  them  particularly  desig 
nated.  It  was  in  depositories  of  this  kind  that  the  provisions 
for  the  use  of  the  army,  whenever,  as  was  seldom  the  case, 
were  more  than  sufficient  for  the  immediate  use  of  the  army, 
were  placed,  to  be  delivered  out  as  necessity  required  in  ra 
tions  to  the  troops  for  their  support. 

BEFORE  AND  AFTER 

The  whole  of  the  country  embraced  in  the  lines  of  the  en 
campment,  on  both  sides  of  the  Valley  Creek,  and  some  por 
tion  of  country  lying  in  the  Great  Valley,  on  the  eastern  side 
of  the  Front  Line  Hill,  at  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  the  army, 
was  either  a  dense  forest  of  heavy  timber,  or  highly  cultivated 
farms.  As  regards  the  state  of  agriculture  in  that  day,  an 
extensive  business  in  the  manufacture  of  bar  iron  and  flour 
for  exportation  had  been  carried  on  at  Valley  Forge,  and  that 
portion  of  country  lying  in  the  Great  Valley,  being  of  a  highly 
productive  nature,  and  owned  by  Thomas  Waters,  Abijah 
Stephens,  Benjamin  Jones,  Jacob  Walker,  John  Beaver  and 
Joseph  Walker,  in  Chester  county,  and  Mordecai  Moore  and 
John  Moore,  in  Montgomery  county,  teemed  with  the  flocks 
and  herds,  and  produced  abundantly  of  the  real  necessaries  of 
life,  which  were  the  chief  objects  of  agriculture  of  that  day; 
the  buildings  and  improvements  on  them  good,  substantial 
and  commodious,  for  that  early  day,  when  luxury  and  false 
show  and  splendor  had  not  usurped  the  place  of  real  comfort 
and  convenience.  But  upon  their  departure,  a  far  different 
appearance  in  the  face  of  the  country,  presented  itself.  The 
stately  forests,  consisting  of  the  venerable  oak,  the  majestic 
hickory,  and  numerous  other  trees,  beautiful,  young  and 
thrifty,  were  promiscuously  cut  down,  the  fences  used  for  the 
enclosures  taken  away,  for  fuel,  or,  as  before  noticed,  used  in 


88  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

the  construction  of  huts  or  forming  pickets.  The  flocks  and 
herds,  lately  so  abundant  upon  them,  all  taken  for  the  use  of 
the  army.  At  the  Valley  Forge,  the  sound  of  the  hammer  was 
no  longer  heard  in  manufacturing  iron ;  the  naked  walls  of  the 
buildings,  lately  used  for  the  purpose,  were  all  that  remained 
to  remind  observers  of  the  business  lately  conducted  there.  It 
is  true,  all  the  buildings  on  the  property  of  other  persons  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  encampment,  were  not  destroyed.  The 
enemy  and  our  own  troops  had  not  burned  or  in  no  other  way 
destroyed  any  of  them,  but  the  people  had  been,  in  consequence 
of  the  peculiar  situation  in  which  they  had  been  placed,  and 
tried  state  of  the  army,  had  been  deprived  of  almost  all  the 
necessaries  of  life  in  addition  to  their  lands  being  thus  laid 
waste.  So  that  the  country  then  presented  nothing  but  the 
picture  of  wasting  and  destruction.  I  cannot,  of  course  re 
member  that  period  of  time,  but  while  writing  these  things, 
my  mind  is  carried  back  in  retrospection  to  the  times  alluded 
to,  they  bring  afresh  to  my  memory,  what  I  have  so  often 
heard  repeated  concerning  them,  that  I  sometimes  almost 
fancy  I  lived  in  that  day,  and  that  I  have  actually  beheld  the 
scenes  I  have  endeavored  to  present  to  my  readers. 

THE  BRITISH  INFORMED 

In  my  next  I  shall  have  some  further  allusions  to  the  sub 
ject.  The  remainder  of  this  I  wish  to  devote  to  some  matters 
that  occurred  near  the  close  of  the  campaign,  and  particularly 
to  a  circumstance  that  occurred  about  that  time,  that  I  have 
never  seen  any  account  of,  that  shows  that  the  movements  of 
the  Continental  Army  were  either  very  closely  and  secretly 
watched,  or  that  the  fidelity  of  some  of  the  superior  officers 
was  not  to  be  fully  trusted  to.  I  have  often  heard  my  father 
relate  the  circumstance,  and  as  he  belonged  to  the  army,  and 
was  well  acquainted  with  all  its  movements,  I  publish  it,  prob 
ably  for  the  first  time,  upon  that  authenticity,  and  endeavor 
to  give  it  as  nearly  as  possible  as  I  have  heard  it  related  by 
him.  In  giving  this  account,  it  will  be  necessary  to  take  some 
notice  of  the  British  army,  under  command  of  General  Howe. 

After  the  battle  of  Germantown,  and  the  passage  of  their 
fleet  up  the  Delaware  to  Philadelphia,  they  were  left  in  abso 
lute  possession  of  the  city,  where  they  entered  in  triumph  to 
take  up  their  winter  quarters,  enjoying  every  luxury  and 
abundance  even  to  excess,  as  their  sovereign,  in  whose  service 
they  were  engaged,  furnished  them  liberally  with  the  means 
of  gratifying  the  vain  mind.  While  Washington  and  his 
army  were  at  Valley  Forge,  suffering  all  the  accumulated 
miseries,  hardships  and  privations  that  have  been  mentioned, 
many  of  them  barely  sheltered  from  the  inclement  storms  by  the 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  89 

miserable  huts  they  dwelt  in,  the  enemy  were  dwelling  secure  in 
their  comfortable  houses,  and  though  frequently  feeling  in 
convenience  for  the  want  of  fuel,  yet  they  were  well  fed  and 
well  clothed;  and,  if  not  marrying  and  giving  in  marriage, 
they  were  eating  and  drinking,  rioting  and  feasting,  enjoying 
their  parties  of  pleasure,  attending  balls  and  visiting  theatres, 
and  various  other  amusements.  And  to  crown  the  whole,  to 
wards  the  close  of  the  campaign,  when  Gen.  Howe  was  about 
to  leave  the  country  and  return  to  England,  the  officers  re 
solved  to  honor  him  by  a  splendid  pageantry  or  fete  called  the 
Meschianza,  for  a  full  description  of  which  my  readers  are  re 
ferred  to  Watson's  Annals  of  Philadelphia,  and  Sheman  Day's 
Historical  Researches  of  Pennsylvania,  under  the  head  of 
"Philadelphia,"  where  they  will  find  a  very  graphic  descrip 
tion  given  of  it.  [It  may  here  be  noticed  that  I  saw  about  two 
years  ago  (1848)  in  the  possession  of  John  F.  Watson,  of  Ger- 
mantown,  one  of  the  original  cards  of  invitation  to  this  splen 
did  fete.] 

Through  their  long  and  uninterrupted  course  of  selfish 
pleasure,  thinking  themselves  secure  from  danger,  they  had 
become  rather  careless  about  guarding  their  outposts  from 
surprise.  Washington  thinking  this  a  very  suitable  time,  to 
make  an  attack  upon  some  of  these  stationed  near  the  Wissa- 
hickon,  between  Germantown  and  the  Schuylkill,  hoping  by  a 
manoeuvre  of  this  kind  to  partially  weaken  some  of  their 
forces,  and  to  secure  some  of  their  stores,  arms,  ammunition 
and  artillery.  In  order  that  the  utmost  secrecy  might  be  ob 
served,  he  called  a  council  of  officers,  at  12  o'clock  at  night,  at 
Headquarters.  Of  whom  this  council  consisted,  I  have  never 
fully  understood,  but  Generals  Lee  and  Knox  and  Col.  Hamil 
ton,  together  with  a  few  others  constituted  it.  The  result  of 
the  conference  was  that  they  agreed  that  on  the  next  day,  a 
detachment  of  the  army  was  to  march  from  the  encampment, 
across  the  river  Schuylkill,  at  Matson's  Ford,  opposite  Consho- 
hocken,  and  fall  upon  the  outposts  early  in  the  morning  of  the 
second  day  of  the  consultation.  The  plan  being  thus  ar 
ranged,  it  was  supposed  to  be  only  known  to  the  officers  who 
were  present  at  the  conference,  and  upon  whom  the  utmost 
secrecy  was  enjoined,  until  the  commencement  of  the  march. 

Preparations  were  made  to  carry  the  attack  into  effect, 
and  though  they  had  every  reason  to  believe  their  movements 
were  known  only  to  the  aforesaid  officers  who  were  charged 
with  the  execution  of  it,  yet  Washington  with  that  caution 
that  always  characterized  him,  was  unwilling  to  allow  the 
main  body  to  proceed,  without  sending  in  advance  a  small 
body  of  men  to  reconnoitre  the  country  and  if  possible,  to  dis 
cover  whether  any  of  the  enemy  were  lying  in  ambush  or  on 
their  way  to  meet  them.  This  party  upon  arriving  on  an  emin- 


90  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

ence,  upon  the  Gulf  Road,  near  the  house  of  John  Hughes, 
from  which  place,  there  is  a  distinct  view  of  Barren  Hill,  dis 
covered  a  body  of  the  British  army  marching  out  to  meet 
them,  and  it  was  ascertained  they  lay  in  ambush  near  the 
Schuylkill,  in  order  that  when  our  troops  were  crossing  the 
river,  which  they  meant  to  wade,  it  being  not  more  than  three 
feet  deep,  attack  them  at  the  time,  when  owing  to  the  disad 
vantages  in  which  they  would  be  placed,  they  would  have  been 
easily  subdued.  It  was  evident  that  the  enemy  had  notice  of 
their  intended  movement,  but  in  what  way  it  was  conveyed  has 
never  and,  in  all  probability,  never  will  be  known.  Whether 
some  person,  like  Lydia  Darrah,  was  listening  to  the  officers 
while  in  secret  conclave,  and  conveyed  the  intelligence,  or 
whether  some  of  the  officers  proved  treacherous,  and  being 
in  league  with  some  of  the  disaffected  Tories  of  that  day,  some 
of  whom  were  ever  ready,  through  the  love  of  British  gold,  to 
act  as  messengers  and  thus  convey  intelligence  to  the  enemy, 
must  always  be  a  matter  of  conjecture.  I  could  give  my 
father's  opinion,  but  think  best  to  forbear  for  the  present. 
The  prudence  and  precaution  of  Washington  frustrated  their 
object.  The  American  army,  after  commencing  their  march, 
received  the  information  from  the  body  of  men  sent  in  ad 
vance,  and  they  all  returned  to  camp. 

I  shall  now  take  leave  of  the  transactions  of  the  army  at 
the  encampment,  and  in  my  next  give  an  account  of  their  de 
parture. 


LETTER  XIX 

DEPARTURE    AND    DESOLATION 

N  COMMENCING  this  communication,  I  shall  com 
mence  with  the  departure  of  the  army  from  the 
place;  this  occurred  in  the  fore  part  of  the  sum 
mer  of  1778.  The  same  caution  that  had  ren 
dered  it  necessary  upon  their  arrival  to  conduct 
their  marches  with  as  much  secrecy  as  possible,  was  as  es 
sential  at  the  time  of  their  departure,  and  little  or  no  notice 
was  given  to  the  main  body  of  the  army,  or  to  the  inhabitants 
of  the  vicinity,  of  their  removal,  previous  to  the  morning  of 
their  march.  The  British  having  evacuated  Philadelphia,  our 
troops  took  possession  of  it  the  same  day.  Leaving  the  en 
campment  at  Valley  Forge  was  so  unexpected  to  the  soldiers 
that  I  was  once  informed  by  a  woman  who  baked  for  the  army, 
that  she  had  received  from  the  soldiers  her  usual  supply  of 
flour,  to  be  baked  for  them  on  the  day  of  their  departure,  all 
of  which  were  left  on  her  hands,  furnishing  her  and  her  fam 
ily  with  an  unexpected  and  welcome  supply  of  the  staff  of  life. 
I  have  also  heard  it  related,  that  soon  after  their  departure, 
there  was  found  in  the  camp,  by  persons  whom  curiosity  had 
led  to  visit  the  place,  in  huts  where  baking  and  other  culinary 
operations  were  performed,  batches  of  dough  left  in  an  un 
baked  state,  on  account  of  their  sudden  march ;  and  also  many 
other  utensils,  such  as  camp  kettles,  cabooses  (one  of  which  I 
believe  is  in  our  family  at  this  time),  axes,  canteens,  and 
numerous  other  articles  that  could  not  be  collected  or  taken  off, 
in  the  hurry  of  the  occasion. 

It  was  a  very  common  thing,  since  my  recollection,  to  find 
on  the  ground  some  memento  of  that  period.  I  have  often,  in 
company  with  my  elder  brothers  and  other  boys,  sometimes 
with  grown  persons,  generally  strangers,  who,  when  in  the 
neighborhood,  had  a  curiosity  to  visit  the  place,  and  sometimes 
alone  have  I  spent  hours  in  traversing  the  ground  in  search  of 
these  relics  of  the  Revolution — not  that  they  were  of  any  great 
value,  but  possess  them  as  curiosities  to  remind  us  of  that 
period.  There  is  even  at  the  present  day,  sometimes  an  occa 
sional  relic  of  that  day  turned  up  by  the  ploughshare. 

But  I  am  digressing  from  the  subject  of  their  departure, 
and  must  return  to  it;  and  by  introducing  a  fanciful  view  of 
the  time  and  place,  endeavor  to  show  my  readers  the  distressed 
situation  and  appearance  of  the  place.  I  must  request  them, 
in  idea  at  least,  to  accompany  me  to  the  neighborhood  of  the 
place  and  the  scenes  I  have  been  describing.  Let  us  fancy 
ourselves  arrived  there,  and  in  imagination  let  us  consider  it 
to  be  in  the  midsummer  of  1778,  and  that  we  are  standing  on 
Mordecai  Moore's  fort,  from  which,  in  every  direction  that 


92  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

we  turn  our  eyes,  on  both  sides  of  the  Schuylkill,  we  behold 
from  this  eminence,  particularly  on  the  western  side  in  the 
Great  Valley,  a  portion  of  country  excelled  by  very  few,  if 
any,  in  fertility,  in  the  state  of  Pennsylvania,  and  lately  fruit 
ful  as  the  rich  lands  of  Goshen,  and  beautiful  to  look  upon  as 
the  well  watered  plains  of  Jordan,  and  if  rightly  improved, 
would  produce  abundance.  But  all  around  is  nothing  but  deso 
lation — the  fields  are  destitute  of  vegetation,  and  the  lands, 
once  so  highly  productive,  lie  uncultivated  and  without  en 
closure.  The  trees  of  the  forest  are  all  cut  down,  and  noth 
ing  but  the  stumps  left  remaining;  wasting  destruction  and 
devastation  are  apparent  wherever  we  turn  our  eyes  on  that 
side  of  the  river.  This  gloomy  prospect  leads  us  to  enquire, 
Why  are  these  things  so? 

Let  us  now  imagine  that  we  fall  in  company  with  some  of 
the  Moores,  and  Walkers,  or  Stephenses,  or  other  of  the  worth 
ies  of  that  day,  who  from  severe  experience  had  known  the 
causes  that  had  produced  these  effects ;  and  they  would  inform 
us  in  answer  to  our  questions,  that  they  were  produced  from 
the  war  they  were  then  engaged  in;  and  the  desolation  we 
everywhere  behold  around  us  was  produced  by  the  encamp 
ment  at  that  place,  that  these  were  the  effects  of  it.  They 
would  explain  to  us  the  use  of  the  fortifications  and  redoubts, 
and  show  us  the  pickets,  then,  pointing  to  the  south  and  west, 
would  show  us  the  miserable  huts  that  were  hastily  erected 
to  shelter  the  poor,  famished  and  suffering  soldiers  from  the 
inclement  storms  of  the  preceding  winter;  and  directing  our 
attention  to  the  place  lately  abounding  with  the  lofty,  tower 
ing  oaks  and  other  stately  forest  trees,  and  to  their  fertile 
lands,  now  lying  in  common ;  they  would  tell  us  their  timber  was 
cut  down,  and  their  fences  taken  to  construct  huts  and  pickets 
and  to  furnish  fuel  for  the  soldiers,  to  protect  and  preserve 
them  from  the  cold  chilling  wind  and  driving  snow.  It  is  thus 
they  would  inform  us  of  the  causes  that  had  laid  waste  that 
fair  portion  of  country;  and  at  the  same  time  relate  to  us 
many  interesting  anecdotes  of  that  period,  which  have  never 
been  published.  They  would  ask  us  to  accompany  them  to  Val 
ley  Forge,  and  there  they  would  point  to  us  the  same  feature  of 
desolation,  though  not  the  same  fertility  of  soil,  all  lying 
waste;  they  would  show  us  the  naked  walls  of  the  buildings, 
lately  burned  by  the  enemy,  and  tell  us  that  where  there  is 
now  nothing  but  gloomy  silence,  was  lately  heard  the  sound  of 
the  hammer  and  the  hum  of  business,  and  there  was  seen  the 
hardy  laborer  busily  engaged  in  manufacturing  iron  for  use 
ful  and  peaceful  purposes;  but  now  all  is  still,  gloomy  and 
death-like.  From  thence  they  would  conduct  us  to  other  parts 
of  the  ground  occupied  by  the  encampment;  and,  in  all  our 
rambles,  the  same  evidence  of  desolation  would  be  still  ap- 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  93 

parent  everywhere  in  the  course  of  our  journey — for  the  fruit 
ful  field  had  become  desolate;  and  the  garden  a  waste  place. 
But  while  showing  to  us  the  dreary  state  of  things,  and, 
though  for  the  present  discouraged  under  the  prospect  of 
things  and  the  state  of  affairs,  yet  they  would  express  a  hope 
of  the  return  of  better  days,  when  their  waste  places  should 
through  industry  be  again  restored,  and  their  gardens  now 
desolate  should  blossom  as  the  rose,  and  peace  return  like  the 
dove  bearing  the  olive  branch  and  be  again  restored  in  our 
borders. 

I  shall  now  leave  this  imaginary  scene,  which  has  been  in 
troduced  as  a  picture  to  show  the  state  of  the  place,  after  the 
army  had  removed  from  there,  and  that  I  might  in  some  of 
my  future  numbers  contrast  it  with  its  present  appearance. 
I  shall  proceed  to  remark,  that  it  is  not  my  intention  to  pur 
sue  the  movements  of  the  army  any  further  after  leaving  the 
place,  my  object  being  to  give,  as  nearly  as  I  possibly  can,  a 
history  of  the  Valley  Forge,  as  promised  in  my  first  letter. 
The  movements  and  condition  of  the  army  after  leaving  that 
place  has,  therefore,  very  little  if  anything  further  to  do  with 
the  subject.  Those  that  wish  further  information  on  that  head 
are  referred  to  the  history  of  the  Revolution.  Neither  is  it 
necessary  for  me  to  dwell  much  on  that  period  of  time  that 
elapsed  between  their  removal  from  this  place  to  the  final  es 
tablishment  of  our  independence  by  the  treaty  of  Amiens,  a 
period  of  near  five  years,  as  nothing  of  much  importance  oc 
curred  in  that  time  that  need  require  notice.  In  my  next  I 
shall  refer  to  some  matters  relating  to  the  sufferings  of  the 
people,  and  the  huts  that  were  left  on  the  land  of  different  per 
sons  in  the  lines  of  the  encampment,  and  the  difficulties  they 
met  with  on  account  of  the  loss  of  their  property. 
A  FEW  REFLECTIONS 

Before  I  close  this  account  of  the  departure  of  the  army 
from  the  encampment  ground,  indulge  me  for  a  few  moments 
in  expressing  a  few  reflections  that  involuntarily  present  them 
selves.  In  contemplating  that  interesting  period  of  time  when 
the  arrny  was  encamped  here,  and  reflecting  on  the  number 
that  composed  it,  a  query  very  naturally  arises  of  this  kind — 
Where  are  they  now?  Since  that  period  seventy-two  years 
have  passed  away ;  and  taking  into  view  that  the  most  of  them 
must  have  been  more  than  twenty  years  of  age,  it  must  appear 
very  evident  that  very  few  if  any  of  them  are  now  (1850)  in 
mutability;  if  there  be  any  remaining,  they  have  advanced  to 
that  age  that  they  are  becoming  strangers  in  the  midst  of  a 
new  succession  of  men.  And  if  it  be  not  the  case  now,  it  will 
be  in  a  very  short  time,  that  there  will  be  none  left  to  tell  us 
of  these  things  that  they  have  witnessed  and  I  have  endeavored 
to  describe.  Among  the  circle  of  my  acquaintance,  which  is 


94  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

by  no  means  limited,  I  now  know  of  none  of  that  portion  liv 
ing.  And  during  a  residence  of  more  than  twenty-two  years 
in  Bucks  county,  I  never  met  but  three  persons  who  formed  a 
part  of  that  body,  and  these  have  descended  to  the  grave  in 
a  good  old  age.  Their  names  were  Samuel  Smith,  Andrew 
Dennison  and  James  Kirk — the  two  first  well  known  to  many 
of  my  readers.  An  expression  made  use  of  by  the  venerable 
Andrew  Dennison  the  last  time  I  ever  saw  him  may  be  with 
propriety  inserted  in  this  place ;  the  day  was  cold  and  windy, 
the  ground  covered  with  snow,  when  I  overtook  him  in  the 
road  near  Forestville  and  gave  him  a  seat  in  the  sleigh  to  ride 
with  us.  Upon  some  remarks  upon  the  inclemency  of  the 
weather,  he  replied:  'The  people  of  the  present  day  know 
nothing  about  cold ;  if  the  young  men  of  the  present  day,  with 
all  the  advantages  they  possess,  had  to  pass  through  what  I 
and  my  fellow  soldiers  passed  through  at  Valley  Forge,  the 
very  thoughts  of  it  would  make  them  quail."  There  may  have 
been  during  the  time  of  my  residence  here,  many  of  these 
patriots  living,  but  I  never  to  my  knowledge  met  with  them; 
there  may  still  be,  but  I  know  them  not. 

Of  those  who  have  been  alluded  to  who  have  paid  the  debt 
of  nature,  and  who  were  among  the  number  who  shared  the 
severe  sufferings  of  the  camp,  it  is  an  instructive  and  interest 
ing  engagement  to  contemplate  the  subsequent  history  of  their 
lives.  Among  those  who  survived  the  war  and  returned  to 
their  families  and  friends,  could  it  be  possible  for  us  to  ascer 
tain  fully  their  future  lives,  we  would  see  some  among  them 
rising  to  eminent  stations  in  civil  government,  others  in  com 
mercial,  mercantile,  agricultural  and  mechanical  operations, 
that  have  risen  to  wealth,  eminence  and  respectability;  some 
who,  in  the  various  and  devious  paths  of  literature,  have  shone 
conspicuous  and  become  ornaments  to  their  country  and  a 
blessing  to  civil  and  religious  society.  We  look  upon  the  lives 
of  those  with  a  pleasing  satisfaction,  and  may  feel  justly  proud 
of  and  thankful  for  our  free  and  liberal  government,  which 
gives  to  all  an  equal  opportunity  to  eminence  in  the  world,  and 
fulfil  our  duties  as  members  of  this  great  and  growing  re 
public.  But  while  we  enjoy  this  fond  view,  there  is  cause  of 
deep  regret,  when  we  also  reflect  that  there  are  many  others  of 
them  who  were  blessed  with  talents  and  abilities  to  have  rn- 
dered  themselves  equally  eminent  and  useful  and  to  have  made 
them  if  not  equally  opulent,  at  least  wholly  respectable,  who 
have  through  low  and  debasing  habits,  to  which  they  have 
given  way,  lost  their  standing  in  society,  glided  down  the 
streams  of  intemperance  and  insignificance,  and  been  buried 
in  the  gulf  of  oblivion.  But  while  we  regret  their  infirmities, 
let  us  draw  a  veil  over  their  frailities,  and  leave  them  to  re 
pose. 


LETTER  XX 
A  COMMUNITY  PROSTRATE 

|N  MY  LAST,  the  army  had  left  the  encampment, 
and  I  had  endeavored  to  represent  in  as  clear  a 
manner  as  possible  the  dreary  state  of  the  neigh 
borhood  after  their  removal ;  but  the  state  of 
things  can  be  better  imagined  than  described. 
Language  would  fail  to  give  anything  like  an  adequate  idea 
of  it,  as  I  have  heard  it  often  represented  by  persons  who  had 
learned  and  known  the  then  state  of  things  by  experience.  I 
may  here  remark  that  while  all  parts  lying  contiguous  suf 
fered  from  the  effects  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  that  part 
of  it  lying  on  the  south  and  east  of  the  Front  Line  Hill  suf 
fered  most  severely.  The  greater  part  of  the  men  were  sta 
tioned  there,  and  their  destitute  condition  placed  them  in  a 
situation,  in  which  to  obtain  fuel  and  provisions  necessary 
forced  them  to  observe  the  old  adage  concerning  it,  viz.,  that 
"necessity  knows  no  law,"  and  acting  under  the  impulse  of 
it,  the  country  was  soon  cleared  of  all  the  timber,  rails,  pro 
visions,  and  all  other  things  they  could  possibly  obtain. 

Among  those  who  suffered  most  severely  was  my  grand 
father — in  truth  this  calamity  fell  heavily  upon  him.  His  tim 
ber,  as  before  noticed,  was  all  cut  down  and  carried  off  the 
premises,  either  for  fuel  or  constructing  of  huts,  and  all  the 
rails  on  his  farm  of  more  than  two  hundred  acres  were  used 
for  similar  purposes.  Very  few  huts  were  erected  on  his 
premises,  it  lying  principally  on  the  south  of  the  Front  Line 
Hill.  From  the  destruction  of  timber  and  loss  of  rails  and 
other  property  none  was  exempt,  all  fared  alike,  no  par 
tiality  was  shown  in  this  respect,  except  as  the  general  offi 
cers  quartered  at  different  places  exercised  in  some  measure 
their  authority  when  it  was  carried  to  too  great  an  excess  in 
taking  things  that  were  used  in  the  different  families  for  do 
mestic  purposes.  While  the  army  remained  here,  the  people 
of  the  place  were  very  much  on  an  equality  as  regarded  their 
property  and  living,  and  the  future  prospects  of  overcoming 
their  losses  very  much  the  same.  As  the  prospect  was  a  very 
dreary  one,  they  all  concluded  that  their  timber  and  rails  were 
all  destroyed,  and  difficulties  would  have  to  be  surmounted  be 
fore  their  property  could  be  partially  restored  to  its  former 
condition;  but  after  the  removal  of  the  army,  some  felt  the 
effects  of  it  more  than  others.  The  huts  which  had  been 
erected  for  the  use  of  the  army  remained  on  the  prem 
ises  after  their  departure,  and  the  rails  forming  the 


96  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

pickets  were  left  there.  As  noticed  in  a  former  communica 
tion,  the  huts  and  pickets  were  principally  on  the  farms  of 
Mordecai  Moore  and  David  Stephens ;  the  rails  left  in  the  pick 
ets  answered  for  fencing,  and  the  timber  of  which  the  huts 
were  constructed  answered  for  purpose  of  fuel  and  rail. 
These  two  men  had  suffered  in  common  with  others  the  loss 
of  timber  and  the  destruction  of  fences,  but  owing  to  the  cir 
cumstances  of  the  huts  and  pickets  being  left  on  their  prem 
ises,  they  did  not  feel  the  loss  of  their  timber  to  so  great  an 
extent  as  some  others.  The  farms  of  Thomas  Waters,  Joseph 
Walker,  Benjamin  Jones,  John  Bean  and  others  lying  on  the 
southeast  of  the  encampment  being  further  from  the  main 
body  of  the  army,  I  have  understood  suffered  not  so  severely 
from  the  effects  of  the  encampment,  as  the  owners  of  the  land 
had  timber  land  in  other  places  that  escaped  the  ravages  of  the 
army,  so  they  had  to  supply  them  with  fencing  and  fuel.  But 
this  was  not  the  case  with  my  grandfather,  he  had  none  of 
these  means  to  resort  to.  His  only  dependence  for  fuel  was  the 
few  huts  that  were  left  standing  on  his  premises.  Unlike 
some  others,  he  had  no  timber  land  that  escaped  destruction 
to  resort  to  for  fencing ;  he  was  thus  placed  under  the  neces 
sity  of  purchasing  and  hauling  from  a  considerable  distance 
rails  to  enclose  his  land,  and  also  buy  all  the  horses  and  a  great 
deal  of  other  stock  for  conducting  farming  operations,  and 
having  in  common  with  others,  lost  the  greater  part  of  his 
movable  property  and  household  goods  during  the  encamp 
ment,  particularly  in  the  early  part  of  it,  as  mentioned  in  for 
mer  communications.  All  these  things  had  to  be  provided  for 
the  family,  which  required  much  expense  and  labor,  so  that 
his  situation  was  truly  a  very  trying  one,  from  the  effects  of 
which  he  had  never  fully  recovered  during  the  remainder  of 
his  days.  It  is  true  he  received  from  the  government  some  re 
muneration  for  the  damages  sustained,  but  it  was  in  Conti 
nental  money,  which  soon  depreciated  and  was  eventually  re 
pudiated,  so  that  the  whole  may  be  said  to  have  ended  in  a 
total  loss. 

THE  GERMAN  PHYSICIAN  AND  THE  RIDING  HORSE 

I  may  here  mention  without  too  much  digression  a  circum 
stance  that  shows  how  little  regard  was  paid  to  the  rights 
of  another  in  regard  to  property,  by  some  of  the  persons  con 
nected  with  the  army.  My  grandfather  in  the  early  part  of 
the  campaign  had  all  his  horses  taken  from  him  except  one, 
a  favorite  riding  horse  which  he  had  occasion  to  use  fre 
quently,  as  he  was  much  engaged  both  in  the  camp  and  the 
surrounding  country  as  a  surgeon,  or  healer  of  fractures, 
ulcers  of  various  kinds,  dislocations  and  other  similar  mala 
dies  and  casualties.  On  this  account  this  horse  was  never 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  97 

taken  or  used  by  any  of  the  officers  or  men.  On  the  morning 
of  the  departure  of  the  army,  a  German  physician,  who  had 
spent  a  considerable  portion  of  time  with  Dubryson,  took  the 
horse  by  stealth,  called  at  a  house  near  the  place,  borrowed  a 
saddle,  and  informed  the  person  he  obtained  it  of,  that  he  had 
borrowed  a  horse  of  Doctor  Stephens  (as  he  called  him)  to 
ride  to  the  ferry  at  Philadelphia,  and  would  return  with  him 
in  the  evening  or  the  morning  of  the  following  day.  He  never 
returned  with  horse  or  saddle,  and  thus  my  grandfather's  last 
horse  was  taken  from  him. 

FROM  WAR  TO  PEACE 

The  peculiar  situation  of  the  country  at  this  time,  and  the 
losses  the  people  had  sustained  continued  to  oppress  them  not 
only  during  the  remainder  of  the  war  but  for  several  years 
after,  so  that  little  progress  was  made  by  many  of  them  to 
resuscitate  their  desolated  farms,  and  the  iron  manufacturing 
business  at  Valley  Forge  was  during  the  residue  of  the  war  sus 
pended.  The  owners  of  the  farms  thus  laid  waste  generally  con 
tinued  to  reside  upon  them  during  the  remainder  of  the  war. 
David  Stephens, soon  after  the  removal  of  the  army, with  his 
wife  and  some  other  branches  of  the  family,  moved  toNantmeal 
in  Chester  county,  and  continued  there  some  years.  The  man 
sion  that  had  been  occupied  by  Colonel  Dewees  at  Valley 
Forge,  having  been  burned,  he  with  his  family  removed  to 
a  house  of  his  father-in-law  in  the  Valley,  the  place  where 
Gen.  Mifflin  had  been  quartered,  at  which  place  he  continued 
to  reside  for  several  years,  except  a  small  portion  of  time  that 
he  resided  in  Philadelphia.  As  I  shall  take  some  notice  of  the 
most  of  these  persons  in  a  future  communication,  I  shall  take 
no  further  notice  of  them  at  present. 

Having  noticed  many  of  the  principal  events  of  that  period 
in  the  history  of  our  country,  that  transpired  in  the  neigh 
borhood  of  the  Valley  Forge  during  that  interesting  and 
deeply  trying  time,  though  there  are  yet  many  things  that 
might  be  related,  I  must  omit  them,  as  time  and  many  pressing 
engagements  preclude  my  entering  more  fully  into  the  subject. 
I  promised  my  readers  in  the  commencement  of  the  work,  to 
carry  it  on  from  its  early  settlement  to  the  present  time 
(1850).  I  shall,  therefore,  now  dismiss  the  consideration  of 
any  matters  connected  with  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  or  the 
campaign  at  Valley  Forge,  which  have  already  claimed  so 
much  of  your  attention,  only  as  they  may  occasionally  come 
in  future  numbers  by  way  of  reference,  and  in  my  future  let 
ters  I  shall  turn  from  the  gloomy  picture  of  things,  from  the 
"lines  and  tented  fields,"  to  that  period  of  time  when  peace 
with  her  olive  branch  had  returned  to  our  borders,  when  the 
destructive  sword  had  been  exchanged  for  the  plowshare,  and 


98  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

danger  and  destruction  no  longer  hovered  around  us.  When 
the  Valley  Forge  had  been  rebuilt,  and  instead  of  confused 
noise  of  the  camp  being  heard  in  its  borders,  was  heard  afresh 
the  noise  of  the  hammer  in  the  manufacturing  of  iron,  the 
most  valuable  and  useful  of  all  mineral  substances,  when  the 
farms  in  that  fair  portion  of  country,  surrounding  it  on  every 
side,  no  longer  lay  waste  and  unproductive,  but  through  the 
hand  of  industry  and  the  blessings  of  peace,  they  were  again 
restored,  the  waste  places  enclosed,  and  the  fields  clothed  with 
plenty  for  the  sustenance  of  man  and  beast. 

In  my  next,  I  shall  commence  an  account  of  the  rebuilding 
of  the  Valley  Forge,  the  revival  of  business  at  the  place,  and 
confining  myself  exclusively  to  the  original  estate  at  it  was  at 
the  time  of  the  conclusion  of  the  war,  notice  its  different 
owner,  the  changes  of  manufacturing  business  at  different 
periods,  the  improvements  it  has  undergone,  its  present  state, 
and  many  other  things  in  connection  with  the  place,  the  most 
of  which  have  occurred  since  my  time,  and  will  be  generally 
furnished  from  actual  knowledge  and  observation. 


LETTER  XXI 
THE  FORGE  RELIT 


!|N  THIS  communication  I  propose  giving  an  account 
of  the  Valley  Forge  from  the  termination  of  the 
war  down  to  the  present  time,  confining  myself  as 
much  as  possible  to  the  Valley  Forge  tract  of  land 
as  it  was  held  at  that  time,  and  shall  endeavor  to 
present  it  in  as  connected  a  manner  as  it  will  admit  of.  About 
the  time  alluded  to,  another  forge  was  built  considerably 
lower  down  the  stream  than  the  former  one  that  was  burned 
by  the  British.  The  present  (1850)  cotton  factory  covers  the 
site  of  the  forge  last  erected.  It  stood  there  and  was  used 
as  a  tilt  mill  until  the  year  1814.  A  slitting  and  rolling  mill 
were  erected  a  few  years  after  the  forge,  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  stream,  in  Chester  county.  These  buildings  were  erected 
by  William  Dewees,  David  Potts  and  Isaac  Potts.  The  former 
commenced  the  manufactory  of  bar  iron,  and  the  place  again 
began  to  assume  the  prospect  of  business  being  revived. 
Neither  of  the  others  was  engaged  at  that  time  with  him  as 
partners  in  the  manufacturing  business.  David  Potts  resid 
ing  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  where  he  kept  an  iron  store; 
and  Isaac  Potts  lived  at  headquarters — he  having  the  grist 
mill  at  the  place. 

William  Dewees,  who  was  very  aristocratic,  and  who 
moved  in  a  style  far  above  his  means  to  support,  in  a  few 
years  failed,  was  sold  out  by  the  sheriff,  which  closed  his 
business  at  the  place,  and  ended  his  connection  with  the  fam 
ily.  About  the  year  1792,  an  assessment  of  the  damage  clone  to 
the  Valley  Forge  estate  by  the  burning  of  the  different  build 
ings  by  the  enemy,  was  taken  by  John  Bartholemew  and  John 
Davis;  and  if  I  recollect  right,  the  amount  of  valuation  was 
over  twelve  thousand  dollars.  William  Dewees  petitioned  Con 
gress  at  that  time  for  damages  he  had  sustained  on  the  occa 
sion  ;  but  owing  to  the  low  state  of  the  national  treasury  at  the 
time,  it  was  not  granted.  He  kept  a  duplicate  of  the  docu 
ments  prepared  on  the  occasion,  but  nothing  further  was  done 
by  him  in  the  business  in  his  life  time.  The  sequel  of  his  life 
I  shall  not  pursue  more  than  to  say  that  it  was  marked  by  a 
sad  reverse  of  fortune,  and  he  ended  his  days  at  an  advanced 
age,  near  the  place  in  the  year  1809.  Of  the  claim  I  shall  speak 
more  of  in  some  future  number. 

The  business  of  the  Forge  and  other  iron  works,  after  the 
failure  of  William  Dewees,  was  for  a  few  years  carried  on  by 
Isaac  Potts,  during  which  time  a  division  of  the  property  took 


100  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

place — David  Potts  taking  the  iron  works  and  all  the  land  in 
Chester  and  Montgomery,  lying  on  the  south  side  of  Nutt's 
road  and  the  Gulf  road,  and  a  small  part  on  the  north  side  of 
the  Gulf  road  in  Montgomery,  on  which  the  mansion  house 
and  some  other  buildings  had  been  erected,  having  the  privi 
lege  of  a  road  or  passage  from  the  Gulf  road  to  the  river 
Schuylkill  and  a  landing  thereon  forever,  for  all  articles,  flour 
and  wheat  and  other  grain  excepted,  it  being  understood  be 
tween  them  that  no  grist  or  other  mill  for  manufacturing  or 
grinding  flour  or  grain  of  any  kind  should  be  erected  on  any 
part  of  the  estate  of  David  Potts.  Isaac  Potts  took  the  mill 
and  farm  on  which  headquarters  stood,  lying  on  the  Schuyl 
kill,  with  the  privilege  of  using  the  above  road  or  passage  to 
the  Gulf  road  forever,  for  all  articles,  iron  and  charcoal  manu 
factured  on  the  premises  only  excepted,  it  being  likewise  un 
derstood  that  no  works  of  any  kind  for  the  manufacture  of 
iron  should  be  erected  on  the  place.  The  prohibitions  have 
been  observed  by  all  subsequent  owners  of  any  part  of  either 
estate,  a  clause  to  that  effect  being  inserted  in  the  deeds  of  all 
purchasers  since  that  time,  at  least  all  I  have  ever  written 
or  have  in  my  possession. 

THE  HEADQUARTERS  AFTER  THE  WAR 

As  the  headquarters  of  Washington  is  the  most  noted  place 
in  the  vicinity,  I  shall  now  proceed  with  an  account  of  them, 
detached  from  any  other  matter.  Isaac  Potts  continued  to  re 
side  there,  some  time  after  the  division  of  the  property.  About 
1794,  if  my  memory  serves  me  correctly,  he  sold  the  property 
to  Jacob  Paul  of  Germantown,  in  whose  family  it  remained 
till  1826 ;  it  then  belonged  to  his  son,  Joseph  Paul.  It  was  then 
purchased  by  an  association  of  people  who  entertained  the  vis 
ionary  idea  of  establishing  a  community  of  mutual  interests  at 
the  place,  on  the  principles  of  Robert  Owen,  of  New  Lanark, 
in  Scotland.  The  existence  of  this  project,  if  it  ever  existed  at 
all  except  in  imagination  or  theory,  was  very  brief.  The  meas 
ure  proved  a  complete  failure,  and  the  property  was  taken  by 
James  Jones,  one  of  the  number,  and  the  only  wealthy  person 
among  them,  who,  about  two  years  after  removed  to  the  place, 
and  resided  in  the  mansion  occupied  as  headquarters  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  about  ten  year  ago  (1840)  at  an  ad 
vanced  age.  His  family  still  (1850)  resides  there.  A  few  years 
since  the  old  mill,  erected  prior  to  the  Revolution,  and  which 
had  escaped  the  ravages  of  that  period,  was  destroyed  by  fire, 
communicated  by  sparks  from  the  locomotive  on  the  Reading 
Railroad,  that  passes  near  it.  The  mansion  is  still  standing, 
having  undergone  very  little  alteration.  It  has  been  often  vis 
ited  by  strangers  and  others,  on  account  of  its  connection  with 


THE  QUARTERS  OF  THE  PATRIOTIC  ORDER  SONS  OF  AMERICA 

at  Valley  Forge,  which  organization  saved  to  the  State 
Washington's  Headquarters,  the  nucleus  of  the  Park.  The 
pillar  of  stones  to  the  right  is  said  to  be  a  corner  of  the 
Joseph  Mann  house,  where  Gen.  Mclntosh  was  quartered. 
See  pages  58  and  59. 


THE  QUARTERS  OF  GEN.  VARNUM. 

and  now  the   Quarters  of  the  Daughters  of  the   American 
Revolution.      See   pages   57,   59   and    137. 


GEN.  HUNTINGDON'S  QUARTERS 

The  lower  part  of  the  residence  to  the  foreground,  part  of 
the  original  house,  owned  by  David  Stephens,  larger  part 
erected  by  his  son,  Squire  Maurice  Stephens,  in  1816.  The 
sDring  house  down  back,  in  the  rear,  is  in  two  parts,  which 
likely  correspond  in  age  with  the  two  parts  of  the  house. 
Now  in  the  Park  and  known  as  the. "Shepherd  Farm."  See 
pages  57,  71  and  136. 


QUARTERS  OF  THE  PROVOST  GUARD 
See  pages  57  and   133. 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  101 

the  Revolution,  some  of  whom  I  have  conducted  there;  and  I 
have  often  pointed  out  the  place  to  travelers  who  have  been 
passing  on  the  public  road.  There  are  yet  some  things  re 
maining  about  the  building  to  remind  visitors  of  that  interest 
ing  period,  particularly  the  secret  doors  that  were  planned  for 
the  Commander-in-Chief  to  effect  an  escape  in  case  of  an 
emergency. 

THE  DISPOSITION  OF  THE  POTTS  ESTATE 

I  shall  now  proceed  to  give  an  account  of  that  part  of  the 
estate  owned  by  David  Potts.  Shortly  after  the  division  of 
the  property,  he  removed  to  reside  there.  He  soon  quit  the 
manufactory  of  bar  iron  and  the  rolling  and  slitting  of  iron, 
and  the  tilt  hammer  was  substituted  instead.  While  he  abode 
there,  he  disposed  of  some  parts  of  it  lying  in  Chester  county, 
the  greater  part  of  his  land  being  there.  At  the  time  of  his 
death,  he  owned  more  than  eight  hundred  acres  of  land,  more 
than  seven  hundred  of  it  being  woodland,  young  and  thrifty, 
having  nearly  all  grown  up  since  the  Revolution.  He  died  in 
the  year  1798,  and  the  property  was  held  by  some  of  his  fam 
ily  until  the  year  1806,  the  business  being  conducted  by  his 
son-in-law,  Reese  Brooke,  and  his  son,  James  Potts.  In  that 
year  it  was  sold  to  Ralph  Peacock  of  Philadelphia,  who  held  it 
and  conducted  the  business  there  between  two  and  three 
years,  when  he  disposed  of  it  to  Jacob  Vodges  of  Philadelphia, 
who  took  possession  of  it  sometime  during  the  summer  of 
1802  (There  is  some  discrepancy  here. — Ed.)  and  held  it  about 
six  years.  From  the  death  of  David  Potts  until  purchased  by 
Jacob  Vodges,  no  part  of  the  real  estate  had  been  sold,  except 
a  lot  of  about  fourteen  acres,  by  the  heirs  of  David  Potts.  Dur 
ing  the  time  it  was  held  by  Jacob  Vodges,  some  of  the  wood 
land  in  Montgomery  county  was  sold  off  in  lots  to  different 
persons;  and  five  hundred  acres  of  it  in  Chester  county  was 
sold  to  John  Conard  and  Joseph  Barnes,  the  former  of  Ger- 
mantown,  the  latter  of  Philadelphia,  the  latter  at  the  time  Pro- 
thonotary  of  the  Supreme  Court  for  the  Eastern  District  of 
Pennsylvania  and  since  Judge  of  the  District  Court  of  Phila 
delphia,  the  former  at  the  time  Associate  Judge  of  the  Cir 
cuit  Court  of  the  city  and  county  of  Philadelphia,  subsequently 
a  member  of  the  Fifteenth  Congress,  Prothonotary  of  the 
Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania  (in  the  room  of  Mr. 
Barnes),  and  Marshal  of  the  Eastern  District  of  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania.  He  now  resides  in  Elkton,  in  the  State  of 
Maryland.  His  native  place  was  in  this  county  (Bucks),  about 
three  miles  from  Doylestown.  They  purchased  it  upon  specu 
lation,  and  soon  after  sold  about  four  hundred  acres  of  it  off 
in  lots  of  from  three  to  seven  acres,  the  remainder  to  a  per 
son  in  the  neighborhood,  thus  placing  the  original  tract  at  that 


102  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

time  in  the  hands  of  a  great  many  different  owners,  and  this 
is  the  situation  it  is  now  placed  in,  and  in  all  probability  will 
always  remain  so,  as  it  all  consists  of  superior  chestnut  tim 
ber  land,  purchased  by  wealthy  farmers  in  many  parts  of  the 
county,  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  them  with  rail  timber. 
I  shall  dwell  no  longer  on  that  part  of  the  property. 

About  the  commencement  of  the  year  1814,  he  sold  the 
greater  part  of  the  residue  of  the  estate,  with  all  the  water 
power  and  improvements  lying  on  both  sides  of  the  Valley 
creek,  reserving  about  thirty  acres  in  Chester  and  about  fifty 
in  Montgomery  county,  to  John  Rogers,  of  the  firm  of  Rogers 
and  Brothers,  hardware  merchants  in  Philadelphia. 

It  would  seem  that  the  purchase  by  Jacob  Vodges  was  an 
unprofitable  one,  for  shortly  after  disposing  of  all  except  the 
part  reserved  above,  and  after  struggling  under  adverse  cir 
cumstances  during  all  the  time  he  held  it,  he  had  ultimately 
to  give  up  to  assignees,  who  disposed  of  the  remainder  of  it 
to  different  people.  I  shall  now  in  my  further  description  of  it, 
limit  myself  to  the  part  purchased  by  John  Rogers.  He  took 
possession  of  it  early  in  the  year  1814,  and  immediately  in 
connection  with  Joshua  Marlin,  commenced  the  erection  of 
commodious  buildings,  for  the  manufacture  of  various  kinds 
of  domestic  hardware;  but  before  they  were  completed  peace 
took  place  between  this  country  and  Great  Britain,  which 
checked  the  spirit  and  progress  of  the  manufacturing  busi 
ness  and  decreased  the  value  of  property,  and  brought  on 
a  languishing  state  of  affairs  at  the  place.  In  my  next  I  shall 
resume  the  subject,  as  I  shall  not  be  able  to  finish  in  this. 


LETTER   XXII 

HE  conclusion  of  my  last  letter  informed  my  readers 
of  the  languishing  state  of  things  at  the  place 
brought  about  by  the  check  given  to  manufac 
tories  by  peace  being  made  with  England.  The 
original  operations  that  had  been  carried  on  at  the 
place  after  falling  into  the  hands  of  John  Rogers  were  utterly 
given  up;  and  a  large  amount  of  capital  had  been  expended 
in  order  to  commence  the  manufactory  of  various  articles  of 
iron  ware,  both  in  cast  and  wrought  iron,  which,  previous  to 
the  war,  we  had  depended  upon  foreign  nations  for  a  supply, 
and  which  could  at  that  time  be  imported  at  a  much  lower  rate 
than  they  could  be  made  in  the  country,  even  under  the  most 
favorable  circumstances  of  our  then  infant  manufactures, 
prevented  it  being  used  for  the  purpose  he  had  first  intended. 
This  led  to  other  schemes  and  operations  for  several  years, 
such  as  the  manufacture  of  shovels,  spades,  hoes,  mill,  cross 
cut,  pit,  boat-builder's  and  circular  saws,  some  branches  of 
which  proved  abortive,  while  some  others,  although  the  owner 
and  proprietor  found  it  a  losing  concern,  yet  some  others  that 
were  associated  with  him,  have  since  found  a  source  of  profit 
arising  from  them,  and  have  acquired  fortunes. 

Things  continued  in  this  fluctuating  state  at  the  place  until 
the  commencement  of  the  year  1821,  when  they  settled  on  a 
more  permanent  basis.  Brooke  Evans  of  the  city  of  Philadel 
phia,  having  obtained  from  the  general  government  a  contract 
to  make  ten  thousand  stand  of  arms,  took  a  lease  on  that  part 
of  the  property  on  the  west  side  of  the  Valley  Creek,  in  Ches 
ter  county,  and  an  armory  was  erected  there  on  the  site  of  the 
old  stilling  mill,  and  operations  soon  commenced  in  that  line. 
In  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  the  manufacture  of  domestic 
hardware  having  ceased,  the  factory  and  all  the  buildings  at 
tached  to  it,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Gulf  road,  in  the  county 
of  Montgomery,  were  taken  by  Hugh  Wagstaff  of  Delaware 
county,  for  the  purpose  of  manufacturing  cotton,  and  soon 
put  into  successful  operation.  The  establishment  of  these  fac 
tories  gave  renewed  vigor  to  the  place.  An  influx  of  persons 
to  those  already  there,  was  soon  added,  and  the  place  soon  be 
gan  to  increase,  and  an  additional  number  of  houses  was  soon 
erected,  and  two  stores  opened  in  the  village.  The  death  of 
Hugh  Wagstaff,  which  took  place  in  1823,  checked  the  steady 
operation  of  the  cotton  business,  but  it  soon  assumed  its 
usual  vigor,  and  for  more  than  two  years  after  that  event,  it 
was  carried  on  by  John  Rogers  himself,  who  removed  from 
the  city,  and  took  up  his  residence  at  Valley  Forge.  Toward 


104  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

the  close  of  the  year  1825,  the  whole  of  Valley  Forge  estate 
was  professed  to  be  purchased  by  the  aforesaid  community 
for  the  sum  of  sixty-five  thousand  dollars,  and  at  the  same 
time  they  contracted  for  other  properties  in  the  vicinity,  to  the 
amount  of  seventeen  thousand  more;  but  they  soon  found  it 
much  easier  to  purchase  than  to  comply  with  the  conditions  on 
which  they  professed  to  purchase.  It  soon  fell  to  nought,  and 
the  whole  property,  except  that  comprising  the  estate  known 
as  Headquarters,  which  has  been  noticed,  was  taken  back 
again.  John  Rogers  continued  after  this  short  intermission 
to  reside  there  for  several  years.  He  then  disposed  of  the 
property  to  a  person  named  Jason  Waters  from  some  one  of 
the  New  England  states,  who  after  residing  there  a  few  years 
and  the  business  declining  from  various  causes,  he  became  em 
barrassed  and  the  property  was  sold  by  the  sheriff  to  Charles 
Rogers,  a  nephew  of  John  Rogers.  The  manufacturing  busi 
ness,  I  think,  is  now  (1850)  conducted  by  an  Englishman 
named  Ogden.  Charles  Rogers  now  resides  there,  and  being 
a  man  of  great  wealth,  and  disposed  to  improve  the  property, 
it  is  now  in  a  fair  way  of  improving  in  appearance  and  pros 
perity.  Many  new  and  substantial  buildings  have  been  erected 
by  him;  among  them,  on  a  very  elevated  point  on  the  Rear 
Line  Hill,  is  an  observatory,  furnished  with  a  large  telescope, 
from  which  an  extended  view  of  the  surrounding  country,  in 
every  direction,  may  be  enjoyed,  affording  to  the  observer  a 
very  beautiful  and  diversified  prospect  of  the  most  lovely  and 
interesting  scenery  in  its  native  grandeur,  highly  cultivated 
farms,  splendid  mansions  and  commodious  farm  houses,  neat 
cottages  and  handsome  villages,  the  navigable  river,  the  rail 
road  thronged  with  cars,  beautiful  streams,  hills  and  dales, 
"fountains  and  fresh  shades"  in  abundance,  till  observation  is 
satisfied  in  passing 

"From  house  to  house,  and  hill  to  hill, 
And  contemplation  has  her  fill." 

OTHER  LAND  WEST  OF  THE  CREEK 

Having  now  completed  the  account  of  that  part  of  the  orig 
inal  tract  of  the  Valley  Forge  estate  that  was  held  by  the  Potts 
family  at  the  time  of  the  encampment,  I  shall  next  proceed  to 
notice  a  portion  of  country  lying  on  the  western  side  of  the 
Valley  creek,  the  most  of  it  embraced  in  the  lines.  The  most 
of  this  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution  belonged  to  David  Potts, 
and  is  included  in  the  general  description  of  his  property  al 
ready  given.  The  rest  of  it  was  never  remarkable  for  any  oc 
currences  during  the  war  that  I  have  ever  heard  mentioned, 
neither  do  I  remember  to  have  heard  of  any  of  the  general 
officers  being  quartered  in  that  section.  The  land  is  rather 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  105 

hilly  and  broken,  though  well  watered  and  having  some  ex 
cellent  springs.  The  quality  of  the  soil  is  good,  and  having 
been  mostly  held  by  industrious  farmers,  they  have  quietly 
pursued  their  peaceful  pursuits,  the  most  of  them  on  a  limited 
scale.  It  was  supposed  until  lately  to  possess  very  few,  if  any, 
inducements  for  speculators  to  enter  upon  it,  as  it  was  not 
known  to  contain  any  valuable  mineral  substances  beneath  its 
surface.  In  my  early  days  I  have  heard  it  said  that  bitumin 
ous  coal  existed  in  the  hills  of  that  region,  and  tales  were  re 
lated  of  its  being  known  by  Indians.  If  there  be  any,  it  has 
never  yet  been  discovered,  and  probably  never  will,  as  geolo 
gists  never  found  anything  to  indicate  its  existence  in  that 
region. 

AN  INDIAN  TALE 

Among  the  Indian  tales,  I  have  heard  one  so  directly  re 
lated,  that  I  shall  give  it  a  place  here.  Frederick  Geerhart, 
mentioned  in  a  former  letter,  at  whose  house  a  general  pro 
vision  store  or  depository  for  the  use  of  the  army  was  estab 
lished,  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  and  resided  there  many 
years  previous  to  the  war,  and  while  some  Indians  continued 
to  dwell  in  that  part  of  the  country.  On  one  occasion  an 
Indian  called  upon  him  to  have  some  repairs  done  to  his  gun. 
Not  having  any  coal  on  hand,  he  told  him  he  could  not  do  it, 
assigning  that  as  a  reason.  The  Indian  told  him  that  if  he 
would  let  him  have  a  bag,  he  would  soon  procure  him  some. 
Being  furnished  with  one,  he  started  off  in  a  southeasterly  di 
rection  and  returned  in  a  short  time  with  about  a  bushel  of 
bituminous  coal,  with  which  he  repaired  the  gun.  The  coal 
was  said  to  be  of  the  same  nature  and  kind  of  the  far  famed 
Virginia  coal,  formerly  so  extensively  used  by  blacksmiths. 
Upon  inquiry  where  he  obtained  it,  and  offering  him  a  power 
ful  inducement  (a  bottle  of  rum)  to  show  the  place,  he  con 
sented,  and  took  Geerhart  to  a  hole  on  a  hillside,  as  he  used  to 
relate  it,  not  three  miles  from  his  house,  where  the  Indian 
uncovered  an  opening  in  the  ground  of  sufficient  dimensions  to 
admit  a  full  grown  person  to  crawl  in.  Upon  entering  a  few 
feet  in  the  ground,  coal  was  found  in  abundance.  Wood  was  at 
that  time  very  plenty,  and  the  owner  of  the  land  on  which  it 
was  found,  and  of  whom  Geerhart  claimed  a  fee  for  showing 
him  the  place,  said  that  he  did  not  wish  its  existence  on  his 
property  to  be  known,  as  he  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  it 
himself,  or  dispose  of  it  to  any  other  person  for  the  purpose 
of  mining  it.  The  place,  if  any,  has  therefore  remained  a 
secret.  Geerhart  soon  after  the  close  of  the  war,  removed  to 
the  western  part  of  the  state  of  New  York,  and  in  a  few  years 
died  there.  My  father,  to  whom  he  related  the  account  and 
from  whom  I  received  it,  never  placed  full  confidence  in  it. 


106  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

In  the  year  1830,  when  the  mania  for  speculation  in  coal  lands, 
particularly  in  Schuylkill  county,  raged  to  so  great  an  extent, 
these  legendary  tales  concerning  it  were  again  revived,  and  a 
few  persons,  supposing  it  to  exist  on  their  land,  commenced 
searching  for  it,  but  all  to  no  profitable  purpose — no  trace  of 
it  was  ever  discovered,  and  they  soon  relinquished  the  pur 
suit. 

Other  discoveries  have  been  made  in  that  section  of  coun 
try;  and  some  small  manufacturing  establishments  have  been 
commenced,  which  taken  in  connection  with  the  Reading  Rail 
road  and  the  Schuylkill  navigation,  have  recently  considerably 
altered  the  state  of  things  among  them.  Of  these  things  I  shall 
speak  more  fully  in  my  next  letter,  and  also  give  some  account 
of  a  portion  of  country  lying  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  river, 
immediately  opposite  the  Valley  Forge  estate,  and  the  section 
of  country  I  have  last  alluded  to,  as  its  contiguity  to  the  en 
campment  ground  justly  entitles  it  to  a  place  in  these  com 
munications. 


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THE   VAUX-BAKEWELL-WETHERILL   MANSION 

where  Washington  and  Howe  were  guests  of  James  Vaux 
on  the  same  day.  See  pages  107-110.  Original  house  with 
additions. 


SAYLOR-FRANCIS  HOME 

joining  the  Wether  ill  property  on  the  north.  The  stone 
barn  amid  outbuildings  used  as  a  hospital.  The  publisher 
of  this  book  has  induced  the  G.  A.  R.  to  place  a  marker 
above  the  resting  place  of  soldiers  buried  on  the  farm. 


LETTER  XXIII 
ACROSS  THE  RIVER 

N  THE  eastern  side  of  the  Schuylkill,  and  immedi 
ately  opposite  the  encampment  ground,  is  a  por 
tion  of  country  which  on  account  of  its  contiguity 
to  the  place,  and  its  connection  with  it,  particu 
larly  after  the  construction  of  Sullivan's  Bridge, 

I  shall  give  a  place   in   these   narratives,  as  promised  at  the 

close  of  my  last  letter. 

THE  PAWLING  ESTATE 

The  river  at  Headquarters  makes  a  great  bend.  A  large 
tract  of  land  directly  opposite  the  place,  bounded  on  the  south 
and  east  by  the  river,  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  and  for 
many  years  after,  belonged  to  the  Pawling  family;  and  if 
I  mistake  not  it  was  first  patented  by  Henry  Pawling,  the  orig 
inal  ancestor  of  the  family,  who  emigrated  to  this  Province 
at  a  very  early  period  of  the  proprietary  government.  At  the 
time  of  the  Revolution  it  belonged  to  Henry  Pawling,  the 
grandfather  of  Levi  Pawling,  mentioned  in  a  former  letter, 
who  then  lived  in  a  mansion  near  Pawling's  Bridge,  the  same 
one  mentioned  in  my  fifth  letter,  where  my  mother  arrived  at 
midnight,  when  returning  home  from  her  journey  to  hunt 
Jehu.  New  and  commodious  buildings  had  also  been  erected 
on  the  property,  immediately  opposite  Headquarters,  and 
were  occupied  by  Henry  Pawling,  Esq.  These  two  houses  I 
have  understood  were  the  resort  of  many  officers  during  the 
time  of  the  encampment ;  and  it  is  more  than  probable  that  some 
general  officers  were  quartered  there;  if  so,  I  know  not  who 
theye  were,  not  having  in  proper  time  availed  myself  of  cor 
rect  information  on  the  subject.  It  is  a  rich  alluvial  soil,  al 
most  imperceptibly  rising  from  the  river;  and  for  beauty  of 
situation  and  fertility  of  soil,  is  exceeded  by  none  that  I  know 
of,  lying  on  either  side  of  the  river.  Some  of  the  land  was 
held  by  members  of  the  family  till  very  lately;  the  last  of  it 
was  sold  since  the  death  of  William  Pawling,  the  last  surviv 
ing  son  of  Henry  Pawling,  Esq.,  to  the  Wetherills,  druggists 
and  manufacturers  of  white  lead,  in  Philadelphia,  who  have 
also  at  different  times  since  the  commencement  of  the  war 
with  Great  Britain  in  1812,  purchased  large  tracts  of  valuable 
land  in  the  neighborhood,  of  which  I  shall  now  proceed  to  give 
a  more  general  notice,  as  far  as  my  knowledge  extends  of  their 
possessions. 


108  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

When  I  removed  from  that  part  of  the  country,  a  little 
more  than  twenty-two  years  ago,  the  family  of  Wetherills 
owned  all  the  land  lying  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  Schuyl- 
kill,  commencing  about  a  mile  below  Valley  Forge,  and  ex 
tended  up  the  same  to  the  mouth  of  the  Perkiomen  Creek — 
it  being  more  than  two  miles  in  extent  on  the  river,  except 
ing  the  land  just  mentioned,  that  then  belonged  to  William 
Pawling  (since  purchased  by  them)  and  a  farm  belonging  to 
John  Shearer,  Esq.,  and  still  held  by  him.  Since  owned  by 
them,  all  the  property  has  been  much  improved  by  the  erection 
of  suitable  and  commodious  buildings  of  various  kinds, 
adapted  to  and  necessary  for  the  comfortable  accommodation 
and  proper  management  of  large  and  highly  productive  farms. 
It  may  also  be  noticed,  that  they  had  purchased  a  large  and 
valuable  farm  on  the  western  side  of  the  Perkiomen  Creek, 
formerly  the  property  of  Thomas  Vanderslice.  In  addition 
to  the  buildings  and  improvements  just  mentioned,  they  have 
erected  splendid  edifices  for  private  summer  residences  on 
some  of  the  properties.  These  things  have  much  improved 
the  appearance  of  that  part  of  the  country;  and  the  most  of 
them  being  placed  in  elevated  situations,  can  be  seen  with 
advantage  from  many  places  of  the  encampment  ground ;  and 
when  viewed  from  this  distance,  and  taken  in  connection  with 
the  beautiful  scenery,  and  the  variegated  landscape,  by  which 
it  is  on  all  sides  accompanied,  renders  the  prospect  extremely 
beautiful  and  picturesque. 

THE  MINES  NEAR  SHANNONVILLE 

I  shall  now  give  some  notice  concerning  some  valuable 
mineral  substances,  supposed  to  exist  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth, 
in  that  section  of  country.  It  is  now  near  fifty  years  since  a 
lead  mine  was  opened  on  or  near  the  Perkiomen,  near  a  place 
now  called  Shannonville.  It  has  been  since  then  worked  at 
various  times,  and  by  different  persons  and  companies;  but  I 
never  heard  of  it  being  very  lucrative,  as  they  all  in  succes 
sion  abandoned  it  previous  to  the  year  1826.  About  the  com 
mencement  of  that  year  a  person  from  Cornwall,  England, 
named  Sheffield,  who  professed  to  have  large  experience  in  the 
business  of  mining,  commenced  working  them,  and  was  very 
confident  and  sanguine  of  success  in  the  undertaking.  He 
continued  business  but  a  short  time,  and  then  like  his  prede 
cessors  gave  it  up.  I  do  not  know  whether  the  Wetherills 
have  purchased  this  property  or  not;  neither  do  I  know 
whether  the  business  of  mining  is  carried  on  there  at  present 
or  not.  Recently  copper  has  been  discovered  in  many  places, 
on  both  sides  of  the  Schuylkill,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Valley 
Forge;  and  considerable  business  has  been  done  in  making 
preparation  for  commencing  operations  in  mining  for  that 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  109 

substance — a  more  full  account  of  which  will  be  given  in  some 
future  numbers. 

I  hope  I  may  be  excused  if  I  encroach  upon  the  time  and 
patience  of  some  of  my  readers,  by  giving  a  more  general  de 
scription  of  the  property  belonging  to  the  Wetherills,  lying 
farther  down  the  river,  and  likewise  relating  some  other  ac 
counts  in  connection  with  it.  It  commences  on  the  river  and 
extends  in  a  northwesterly  direction  about  three-fourths  of  a 
mile.  There  is  a  gradual  ascent  from  the  river  to  the  main 
buildings,  which  are  erected  on  the  most  elevated  part  of  the 
premises,  about  two  hundred  feet  above  the  stream,  the  man 
sion  fronting  upon  it.  From  the  rear  of  the  house,  the  ground 
gradually  descends  toward  the  Perkiomen.  I  speak  of  the 
property  as  it  was  the  last  time  I  was  there,  about  twenty- 
four  years  ago.  From  this  place,  particularly  about  the  man 
sion,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  prospects  is  afforded  to  the 
observer  of  the  surrounding  country,  that  it  is  possible  to 
conceive.  Here  may  be  viewed,  not  only  the  greater  part  of 
the  country  occupied  as  the  encampment  ground,  but  in  every 
direction  as  far  as  the  sight  extends,  can  be  enjoyed  a  view 
calculated  to  charm  and  please.  Those  who  have  visited  Pros 
pect  Hill  on  the  Neshaminy,  on  the  road  from  Doylestown  to 
Norristown  may  form  some  idea  of  it. 

THE  GUESTS  OF  JAMES  VAUX 

This  property  during  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  and  while 
the  army  was  encamped  at  Valley  Forge,  belonged  to  a  per 
son  named  James  Vaux,  who  then  resided  there.  It  is  remark 
able  for  a  circumstance  that  occurred  there,  during  the  time 
that  he  mentioned  to  me,  a  short  time  before  his  death.  He 
said  two  distinguished  persons  were  guests  at  his  table  on  the 
same  day — General  Washington  and  General  Howe — the  for 
mer  took  breakfast  with  him;  and  the  latter,  supper.  This 
occurred  the  day  after  the  engagement  was  to  have  taken 
place  at  the  White  Horse,  about  two  miles  from  Goshen  Meet 
inghouse,  in  Chester  county,  but  was  prevented  by  a  heavy  fall 
of  rain  during  the  night  previous.  Those  who  may  have  read 
the  history  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  may  remember  the  ac 
count.  I  could  write  much  concerning  that  event,  as  I  have 
heard  it  related  by  my  father,  who  was  one  of  the  number 
who  experienced  the  effects  of  it;  but  as  it  does  not  properly 
belong  to  these  narratives,  I  shall  at  this  time  omit  it.  But 
to  return  to  my  story.  He  also  informed  me  that  they  both 
lodged  at  his  house — the  one  on  the  night  previous  to  his 
taking  breakfast  with  him,  the  other  on  the  night  subsequent 
to  his  taking  supper.  During  the  war  he  maintained  as  nearly 
as  possible  a  strictly  neutral  position,  he  being  a  member  of 
the  Society  of  Friends,  and  his  hospitable  mansion  was  open  to 


110  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

both  contending  powers.  He  sold  the  property  and  removed 
to  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  where  he  continued  to  reside  dur 
ing  the  remainder  of  his  life,  continuing  a  steadfast  member 
of  the  religious  society  to  which  he  was  attached,  and  always 
exercised  his  right  of  suffrage.  He  died  at  an  advanced  age, 
about  twenty-four  years  ago.  Some  of  his  connections  still 
reside  in  the  city,  one  of  whom  a  few  years  since  was  Re 
corder  of  the  city. 

THE  BAKEWELL  HOUSE  AND  AUDUBON 

I  do  not  know  to  whom  James  Vaux  sold  the  property. 
When  I  first  remember  it,  it  then  belonged  to  a  wealthy  Eng 
lishman  named  William  Bakewell,  the  person  by  whom  the 
celebrated  Bakewell  sheep  were  first  introduced  into  this  coun 
try,  he  importing  them  from  the  farm  of  his  brother  in  Eng 
land.  He  died  at  the  place  in  the  year  1820.  His  family  re 
moved  to  Kentucky  shortly  after,  where  one  of  his  daughters 
had  previously  resided  several  years,  having  married  Joseph 
D.  Audubon,  the  celebrated  ornithologist,  universally  known 
in  literary  circles. 

A  TRAVELER'S  ESTIMATE   OF  THIS   SECTION 

I  shall  conclude  by  mentioning  that  an  English  traveler 
named  Robert  Sutcliffe,  who  spent  a  considerable  portion  of 
time  in  this  country,  in  the  years  1804-5  and  6,  and  kept  a 
narrative  of  his  journey  has  given  a  very  graphic  description 
of  this  property ;  but  as  only  the  initials  of  the  owner's  name 
are  given,  a  stranger  would  not  know  it  was  the  same  prop 
erty — though  I  do  not  think  the  picture  is  much  too  highly 
painted.  He  (Robert  Sutcliffe)  speaks  of  accompanying  M. 
R.,  meaning  Matthew  Roberts  (a  brother  of  the  Honorable 
Jonathan  Roberts),  to  his  cousin,  W.  B.'s,  meaning  William 
Bakewell,  and  proceeds  to  pass  high  encomiums  upon  the  farm 
and  appurtenances;  should  any  of  my  readers  see  the  work, 
they  will  there  find  it  more  fully  described.  I  might  say  much 
more  concerning  the  other  places  in  the  parts  lying  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  river,  particularly  the  Norris  Manor,  the 
most  of  which  is  still  held  by  branches  of  the  family;  but  as 
the  most  of  them,  though  equally  as  near  the  Valley  Forge  as 
some  as  will  hereafter  be  described,  yet  not  being  embraced 
in  the  lines  of  the  encampment  to  proceed  further  with  these 
would  exceed  the  limits  of  my  original  intention. 

In  my  next  I  shall  proceed  to  that  portion  of  the  country  ly 
ing  around  Valley  Forge,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Valley 
Creek,  where  the  different  officers  mentioned  were  quartered. 


QUARTERS  OF  GEN.   MAXWELL 

original  building,  erroneously  referred  to  as  the  quarters 
of  Gen.  Knox,  then  owned  by  John  Brown,  now  owned  by 
U.  S.  Senator  P.  C.  Knox  and  known  as  the  Valley  Forge 
Farm.  See  pages  58  and  111  and  also  the  Preface  to  the 
Third  Edition  of  this  History. 


QUARTERS  OF  GEN.  LAFAYETTE 

original   building,   owned   by   Samuel   Havard,   now   known 
as  the  Harry  Wilson  farm.     See  page  112. 


QUARTERS  OF  GEN.  KNOX 

owned  by  John  Havard,  long  known  as  the  Davis  farm, 
now  owned  by  Thomas  Royal.  Gen.  Duportale  was  also 
quartered  here,  who  cut  his  initials  on  a  door  jamb,  which 
a  repairing  carpenter  some  years  ago  regarded  as  an  in 
trusion  of  his  world  and  he  planed  them  out.  See  pages 
58  and  112  and  Preface  to  Third  Edition. 


QUARTERS  OF   GEN.   LEE 

owned  by  David  Havard,  and  years  later  by  his  grandson 
David  Havard,  now  the  farm  of  Col.  Cassatt.    See  page  115 


LETTER  XXIV 

EAST  OF  THE  VALLEY  CREEK 

]N  THIS  I  shall  commence  giving  a  description  of 
that  section  of  country  in  Chester  and  Montgom 
ery  counties  lying  within  the  limits  of  the  en 
campment  and  immediately  in  their  vicinity, 
where  the  general  officers  mentioned  in  my  former 
letters  were  quartered.  In  so  doing  I  shall  refer  to  the  per 
sons  who  owned  or  occupied  them  at  the  time  of  the  encamp 
ment,  and  also  have  reference  to  some  of  their  different 
owners  since  that  period,  and  the  owners  of  them  at  the 
present  time,  together  with  some  remarks  and  observations 
concerning  some  of  the  changes  they  have  since  passed 
through,  many  of  which  I  shall  state  from  actual  knowledge, 
they  having  mostly  taken  place  since  my  recollection,  par 
ticularly  the  time  of  the  death  of  the  most  of  the  owners  and 
occupants  of  the  places  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution. 

THE  FARM  OF  JOHN  BROWN 

In  the  first  place  I  shall  commence  with  those  on  the 
southwestern  boundary,  which,  at  the  time,  belonged  to 
John  Brown,  Samuel  Havard,  John  Havard  and  Samuel 
Richards.  These  all  live  on  the  south  side  of  the  Baptist 
road,  except  a  portion  of  the  land  then  belonging  to  John 
Brown.  At  his  house  Gen.  Maxwell  was  quartered,  and  on 
a  part  of  the  estate  some  of  the  breastworks  were  thrown  up, 
and  a  part  of  it  still  remains  in  a  tolerably  good  state  of 
preservation.  There  were  also  erected  on  this  property,  sev 
eral  forts,  the  most  of  which  are  still  remaining  visible,  and 
have  undergone  but  little  alteration  since  that  time,  as  they 
were  all  on  land  that  has  never  been  cultivated,  having  been 
kept  for  a  woodland.  These  remains  of  the  Revolution  are 
frequently  visited  by  persons  who  have  it  within  their  power 
and  feel  an  interest  in  these  things.  He  continued  to  reside 
there  the  remainder  of  his  days.  His  farm  was  large  and 
very  productive,  being  in  the  rich  Valley  of  Chester  county. 
By  strict  economy  and  persevering  industry,  he  became  very 
wealthy,  lived  to  an  old  age,  and  died  in  the  year  1823.  The 
farm  previous  to  his  death  had  been  divided  into  two  farms, 
both  at  this  time  sufficiently  large.  They  are  now  owned, 
the  original  mansion  place  by  his  daughter,  the  other  by 
his  daughter-in-law,  widow  of  his  only  son.  It  belongs  to  her 
during  her  life  time,  and  then  descends  to  her  children.  There 
is  now  none  of  his  male  descendants  left  of  the  same  name. 


112  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

THE  FARM  OF  SAMUEL  HAVARD 

Lafayette  was  quartered  at  the  house  of  Samuel  Havard. 
This  farm  joined  John  Brown's  on  the  south,  and  lay  a  little 
beyond  the  lines  of  the  encampment.  It  was  held  by  him 
during  his  life  time.  He  was  a  very  wealthy  man,  lived  and 
died  unmarried.  His  death  occurred  in  the  year  1808,  leav 
ing  all  the  property,  with  a  very  small  exception,  both  real 
and  personal,  to  a  grandson  of  his  brother.  This  caused 
much  dissatisfaction  among  other  and  nearer  relations  of  his, 
and  after  many  years  and  much  money  were  spent  in  litiga 
tion,  the  will  was  finally  established,  and  the  legatee  placed 
in  peaceable  possession  of  the  property.  He  soon  after  re 
linquished  his  profession  as  a  physician  in  which  he  was  pre 
viously  fast  rising  into  eminence,  and  entered  into  a  career  of 
land  speculation,  which  soon  dissipated  the  property,  and  the 
real  estate  was  sold  to  John  Sharpless  of  Delaware  county, 
who  held  it  for  several  years,  being  occupied  by  his  son-in- 
law.  Since  the  death  of  John  Sharpless  the  property  was 
sold.  It  is  now  owned  by  John  Worthington  and  David  Wil 
son.  It  is  divided  into  two  farms,  each  containing  more  than 
eighty  acres.  John  Worthington  occupied  the  farm  and  man 
sion  house  in  which  Lafayette  resided.  The  house  having, 
the  last  time  I  saw  it,  undergone  but  very  little  change  since 
that  time. 

THE  FARM  OF  JOHN  HAVARD 

The  farm  of  John  Havard,  at  whose  house  Knox  was 
quartered,  adjoining  the  latter  one,  is  situated  on  the  State 
road,  from  New  Hope  to  the  Maryland  line,  and  extends  to 
wards  the  Valley  Forge,  on  both  sides  of  the  Baptist  road. 
That  portion  lying  on  the  northeast  of  the  latter  road  was  in 
the  lines  of  the  encampment,  upon  which  many  lines  are  still 
visible.  He  died  before  my  time,  and  I  never  remember  to 
have  understood  the  time.  He  left  one  daughter.  She  married 
a  man  named  William  Davis.  They  lived  during  their  life 
times  upon  it.  Their  deaths  occurred  within  five  weeks  of 
each  other;  not  quite  two  years  ago.  Some  of  their  children 
still  reside  there  and  own  the  property.  The  eastern  extremity 
of  this  place  was  the  extent  of  the  picket  guard  in  that  di 
rection.  The  remains  of  a  chimney  stood  there  for  many 
years  after,  even  since  my  remembrance,  it  was  called  the 
stone  picket,  and  it  is  sometimes  designated  by  that  name 
even  at  this  time,  when  all  traces  of  it  are  obliterated.  Wil 
liam  Davis  at  the  time  of  his  death,  was  about  eighty-two 
years  of  age,  being  one  of  the  last  survivors  of  that  period, 
who  retained  a  lively  recollection  of  the  time  of  the  encamp 
ment.  He  possessed  a  good  memory,  and  retained  his  bodily 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  113 

and  mental  powers,  to  the  close  of  life.  I  regret  not  having 
availed  myself  of  more  information  that  he  might  have 
given  me  on  these  subjects.  I  may,  at  this  place,  notice  an 
account  he  gave  me  about  twenty-six  years  ago,  which  ex 
hibits  acute  observation  and  strength  of  memory.  He  was 
at  work  in  his  barn,  and  observed  a  person  at  some  distance, 
coming  towards  the  house.  He  told  some  persons  who  were 
engaged  with  him,that  he,  calling  at  the  same  time  by  his  name 
was  a  person  who  was  a  sergeant  in  the  army,  and  who  used 
to  be  at  his  father's  during  the  Revolution,  and  whom  he  had 
not  seen  since  that  time.  This  was  correct.  He  had,  after 
a  lapse  of  nearly  half  a  century,  returned  to  the  place  to 
seek  for  some  person  to  enable  him  to  prove  his  services 
in  the  army,  to  entitle  him  to  a  pension. 

RICHARDS  AND  JONES   FARMS 

The  farms  of  Samuel  Richards  and  Samuel  Jones,  lying 
on  the  southeast  of  the  last  described  one,  I  shall  now  take 
some  notice  of,  having,  since  I  commenced  this  letter,  received 
some  additional  information  concerning  them.  As  noticed  in 
a  former  letter,  Woodford  and  Scott  were  quartered  at  these 
places.  I  have  since  understood  that  the  residence  of  Samuel 
Jones  was  not  at  the  place  now  occupied  as  Kendt's  tavern, 
on  the  State  road ;  but  the  next  farm  above  Samuel  Richard's, 
in  the  Valley.  The  place,  now  Kendalt's,  was,  at  the  time 
of  the  encampment,  occupied  by  a  man  named  Anthony 
Moore,  but  who  removed  from  the  place  shortly  after,  and 
before  the  close  of  the  war,  it  was  the  residence  of  a  per 
son  of  the  name  of  Samuel  Jones,  a  relative  of  the  former 
mentioned  one.  I  have  further  learned  that  no  officers  were 
quartered,  for  any  length  of  time,  at  Anthony  Moore's. 

Before  proceeding  to  a  further  description  of  them,  I  will 
mention  that  I  yesterday  called  on  an  old  friend  and  rela 
tion,  the  venerable  Lewis  Walker  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia, 
now  near  eighty-five  years  of  age,  whom  I  had  not  seen  for 
near  twenty  years,  and  found  him  in  possession  of  his  men 
tal  and  bodily  powers,  and  actively  engaged  in  his  mercan 
tile  business.  It  was  at  his  father's  that  Gen.  Wayne  was 
quartered,  and  he  was  at  that  time,  more  than  ten  years  of 
age.  From  him  I  obtained  the  foregoing  information,  in 
addition  to  much  other,  which  I  shall  insert  in  future  num 
bers. 

The  farm,  or  rather  farms,  of  Samuel  Jones,  for  there 
were  two  of  them — the  one  occupied  by  him  at  the  time,  the 
other  by  Jacob  Fricke — are  situated  in  the  Great  Valley.  I 
do  not  know  at  what  time  he  died.  He  left  two  sons,  Enoch 
and  Nathaniel,  to  whom  the  property  descended.  The  farm 
of  Enoch  Jones,  the  place  where  Scott  was  quartered,  has, 


114  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

since  his  death,  been  sold,  and  none  of  his  descendants  are 
now  in  possession  of  any  part  of  it.  The  other  one,  I  think,  is 
still  all  held  by  descendants  of  Nathaniel  Jones.  In  my  conver 
sation  with  Lewis  Walker,  he  also  informed  me  that,  in  ad 
dition  to  the  general  officers  quartered  at  the  different 
places,  that  in  most  instances,  the  field  officers  attached  to  the 
divisions  and  brigades,  were  mostly  with  them  in  their  quar 
ters.  I  shall  give  a  full  account  of  the  staff  attached  to  Gen. 
Wayne's  brigade,  in  my  next,  as  I  received  it  from  Lewis 
Walker. 

The  farm  of  Samuel  Richards  has,  since  his  death,  passed 
into  several  different  hands.  It  was  a  highly  productive 
farm,  and  still  remains  so.  Samuel  Richards  died  either 
during  or  soon  after  the  Revolution.  The  property  was  held 
by  some  of  his  children  and  descendants,  until  the  year  1815 ; 
since  then  it  has  been  successively  owned  by  Samuel  Barry 
and  Jonathan  Phillips.  It  now  belongs  to  some  of  the  descend 
ants  of  Jonathan  Phillips.  It  has  recently  undergone  many  im 
provements  in  building  and  cultivation  of  soil. 

In  my  next  I  shall  have  some  occasion  to  make  some  ad 
dition  to  some  former  accounts,  having  received  the  informa 
tion  in  the  manner  just  related,  and  as  they  contain  reminis 
cences  of  the  period  of  the  encampment  at  Valley  Forge,  I 
hope  that  the  introduction  of  them  at  this  period  of  my  nar 
ration,  will  not  be  looked  upon  as  too  great  a  digression  in  the 
order  of  time  and  place,  in  their  arrangement. 


QUARTERS  OF  GEX.  SCOTT 

but  better  known  as  the  quarters  of  Lord  Howe,  Com 
mander  of  the  British  Army,  original  house,  owned  by 
Samuel  Jones,  now  by  Mr.  Bodine,  who  has  greatly  re 
modeled  it.  See  pages  58,  and  113-4. 


QUARTERS  OF  GEN.  WOODFORD. 

but  previously  the  quarters  of  the  Hessian  General  Knip- 
hausen,  the  two  parts  to  the  right  constituting  the  original 
house,  the  third  part  built  in  1792  and  the  large  part 
shortly  before  1850,  then  owned  by  Samuel  Richard,  years 
ago  known  as  the  Dewees  farm,  now  owned  by  A.  G.  Mc- 
Collum.  See  pages  33,  and  113-114. 


QUARTERS  OF  GEN.   LORD   STERLING 

original  house,  owned  by  Rev.  Wm.  Currie,  later  by  Jos.  R. 
Walker,  later  by  Sanderson,  furnisher  of  the  State  Capitol, 
now  greatly  neglected,  west  of  Valley  Creek  and  west  of 
residence  of  Senator  Knox.  See  page  115. 


QUARTERS  OF  GEN.  PULASKI 

and  for  a  time  of  Gen.  Poor,  original  building,  owned  by 
John  Beaver,  now  by  Frank  Graham  Thomson,  who  has 
called  back  the  colonial  home  into  the  midst  of  modern  cul 
ture.  Here  Devault  Beaver  shot  the  soldier  for  milking  the 
cow.  See  pages  115  and  116,  also  58  and  71. 


LETTER  XXV 
FARM  OF  JOHN  BEAVER 

HE  FARM  of  John  Beaver  was  situated  on  the 
northeast  of  the  farms  of  John  Havard  and  John 
Brown.  As  noticed  in  my  former  letter,  John 
Brown  died  about  the  time  of  the  army  encamp- 

1     ing  at  the  place ;  some  officers  were  quartered  for 


a  short  time  at  the  place,  but  none  permanently.  Generals  Poor 
and  Pulaski,  I  have  understood,  were  among  the  number.  The 
latter  was  not  stationary  here.  During  the  time  he  was  con 
nected  with  the  cavalry,  and  they  were  mostly  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  Trenton,  in  New  Jersey.  This  property  has  been 
owned  by  Rev.  William  Currie,  one  of  the  King's  chaplains, 
previously  to  the  Revolution;  but  who,  upon  the  war  of  the 
Revolution,  was  deprived  of  the  privilege  of  officiating  in  that 
capacity  on  account  of  his  adherence  to  the  royal  cause.  After 
disposing  of  this  estate,  he  purchased  another  lying  on  the 
west  side  of  the  Valley  Creek  adjoining  the  Valley  Forge  es 
tate,  where  he  resided  the  remainder  of  his  days.  He  lived 
to  a  very  great  age,  and  died  since  my  recollection,  I  think  in 
the  year  1803,  some  of  his  descendants  still  occupying  the 
property.  It  now  belongs  to  Joseph  R.  Walker,  his  great 
grandson,  and  his  mother,  now  near  eighty  years  of  age,  re 
sides  with  him.  Levi  Walker  also  informed  me  that  General 
Stirling,  a  part  of  the  time  of  the  encampment,  was  quartered 
at  this  place ;  and  that  General  Lee,  the  latter  part  of  the  time, 
was  quartered  at  the  house  of  David  Havard,  on  the  farm  ad 
joining  it  on  the  southeast.  Many  of  the  descendants  of  Rev. 
William  Currie  still  reside  in  that  and  other  parts  of  'the  coun 
try  and  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia. 

But  to  return  to  the  farm  of  John  Beaver.  The  most  of  it 
fell  into  the  possession  of  his  son,  Devault  Beaver,  who,  pos 
sessing  the  thrift,  industry  and  economy,  so  peculiar  to  that 
useful  and  highly  respectable  portion  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Pennsylvania,  the  German  farmer,  he  not  only  improved  the 
fertility  of  the  soil,  but  erected  large,  good  and  substantial 
buildings  upon  it ;  and  by  making  additions  to  the  original  es 
tate  at  different  times,  it  became,  in  his  life  time,  celebrated 
as  one  of  the  largest  and  most  productive,  as  well  as  highly 
improved,  farms  in  that  section  of  country,  a  position  it  still 
continues  to  hold.  He  continued  to  reside  upon  it,  increasing 
in  wealth  and  prosperity,  until  his  death,  in  the  fall  of  1837,  in 
the  eighty-second  year  of  his  age,  leaving  many  descendants. 
Some  of  his  sons  have  since  deceased;  the  survivors  of  them 


116  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

are  now  engaged  in  the  honorable  employment  of  practical 
farmers.    The  property  is  now  owned  by  his  son-in-law. 

FARMS  OF  JOSEPH  WALKER 

The  farms  of  Joseph  Walker  will  next  claim  our  attention. 
At  that  time  they  consisted  of  two  farms.  The  original  man 
sion  occupied  by  him  is  still  standing.  This  farm  was  on  the 
southwest  of  the  place;  the  one  occupied  by  his  son,  Isaac 
Walker,  on  the  northeast.  The  whole  tract  of  land  contained 
more  than  three  hundred  acres,  and  is  still  held  by  the  family. 
Its  present  owners  are  Joseph  Walker,  son  of  Isaac  Walker, 
and  Richard  C.  Walker  and  William  Walker,  sons  of  Thomas 
Walker.  Richard  C.  Walker  occupies  the  original  mansion; 
and  on  the  southeastern  extremity  of  it,  he  has  erected  a  small 
village,  where  several  branches  of  mechanical  business  are 
conducted.  It  was  here  that  Wayne  was  quartered.  At  the 
place  where  Joseph  Walker  now  resides,  General  Greene  was 
quartered.  The  middle  section  of  the  farm,  held  by  William 
Walker,  is  of  more  recent  origin,  the  buildings  having  all  been 
erected  since  my  recollection.  It  may  be  noted  as  rather  an 
uncommon  occurrence,  that  this  part  of  the  property  is  now 
in  the  sixth  generation  of  the  family.  The  present  proprietors 
are  men  of  industry  and  enterprise;  and,  while  they  have 
steadily  increased  in  wealth,  they  have  also  increased  in  the 
value  of  their  respective  lands,  by  suitable,  useful  and  com 
modious  buildings  and  other  improvements. 

ABOUT  GENERAL  WAYNE 

I  shall  now  turn  back  to  the  period  of  the  encampment,  in 
order  to  insert  some  of  the  incidents  of  that  period,  related 
to  me  by  Lewis  Walker,  in  my  recent  conversation  with  him 
on  the  subject.  He  informed  me  that  the  staff  of  General 
Wayne  consisted  of  Colonel  Thomas  Robinson,  of  Naaman's 
Creek,  near  the  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware  state  line,  Major 
Benjamin  Fishbourne,  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  and  Major 
Ryan  of  Virginia.  These  had  their  quarters  in  company  with 
the  General  at  his  father's.  I  think  I  have  heard  it  said  that 
they  were  all  connected  with  him  either  by  relationship  or 
marriage  ties.  In  addition  to  these,  there  was  also  at  their 
house,  during  the  time  Dr.  Robert  Blackwell,  of  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,  at  that  time  a  physician  to  the  army,  afterwards 
a  clergyman,  and  for  many  years  one  of  the  officiating  minis 
ters  of  the  united  churches  of  Christ,  St.  Peters  and  St.  James, 
in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  celebrated  in  his  latter  days  for 
his  immense  wealth.  Colonel  Robinson  spent  the  latter  part 
of  his  life  at  his  farm,  on  Naaman's  Creek;  and  Major  Fish- 
bourne  was  first  Governor  of  the  North-Western  Territory, 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  117 

then  embracing  all  that  section  of  country  lying  west  of  the 
Ohio  river,  and  now  divided  into  so  many  different  states  and 
territories,  and  teeming  with  inhabitants;  and  Major  Ryan, 
after  the  war,  returned  to  Virginia. 

At  the  time  they  were  quartered  here,  Wayne  and  Fish- 
bourne  each  had  in  their  service  an  Irishman  in  the  capacity 
of  waiters  and  to  take  care  of  their  horses.  The  name  of 
Wayne's  servant  was  Patrick  Joyce ;  and  that  of  Fishbourne's 
was  Philip — his  other  name  could  not  be  recalled.  These  two 
men  undertook  to  rob  them  of  their  horses,  clothing,  money 
and  other  articles  of  value,  they  could  get  hold  of,  and  then 
desert  to  the  British.  It  so  happened  that  the  night  fixed  upon 
for  carrying  their  design  into  execution,  Colonel  Robinson  had 
occasion  to  rise  early  to  attend  to  some  duties,  and  not  find 
ing  his  change  of  raiment  that  had  been  brough  home  the 
preceding  evening  by  his  washer-woman,  and  placed  by  him 
in  a  situation  that  he  knew  where  to  find  them,  he  proceeded 
to  make  a  further  search,  and  soon  found  that  many  other 
things  had  disappeared,  among  others  the  saddles  and  bridles 
of  Wayne  and  Fishbourne,  and  their  boots  and  pistols.  He 
then  alarmed  the  others,  and  the  servants  were  observed  in 
the  act  of  taking  the  horses  from  the  stable.  The  guard  was 
ordered  to  stop  them,  which  they  did.  In  the  morning  they 
were  tried,  and  each  one  sentenced  to  receive  two  hundred 
lashes  on  the  bare  skin.  The  sentence  was  carried  into  execu 
tion,  Lewis  Walker  having  been  a  witness  to  it.  They  were 
afterwards  turned  away,  and,  in  all  probability  went  to  the 
British. 

During  the  time  of  the  war,  Joseph  Walker  endeavored  as 
much  as  possible  to  take  no  part  with  either  of  the  contend 
ing  powers,  he  being  a  man  of  pacific  principles,  and  a  mem 
ber  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  This  gave  occasion  for  many 
to  condemn  him  as  a  Tory,  by  many  of  the  Republican  party, 
but  such  was  his  steady  and  consistent  conduct  through  that 
trying  and  severe  campaign,  that  he  escaped  with  less  loss  of 
his  property  than  many  others.  He  had  a  large  field  of  rye, 
and  one  of  wheat,  and  the  whole  of  his  mowing  ground,  that 
was  not  destroyed,  Wayne  having  placed  a  strong  guard  over 
them,  to  prevent  the  enclosures  being  taken  away,  or  any  per 
son  entering  upon  them.  It  was  remarked  in  some  of  my  for 
mer  communications  that  the  soldiers  had  suffered  much  from 
the  small-pox;  and  this  suffering  was  prolonged  from  being 
deprived  of  suitable  food  to  facilitate  their  recovery.  Lewis 
Walker,  in  our  recent  conversation,  informed  me  that  he  well 
remembers  them,  in  the  spring  of  1778,  coming  to  their  houses, 
bearing  the  marks  of  suffering,  and  craving  of  their  benev 
olent  mother,  something  to  relieve  their  sufferings.  One  thing 
they  particularly  desired  was  vegetable  food,  as  they  had 


118  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

long  been  confined  to  the  salted  provisions  of  the  camp.  Their 
meadow  abounded  at  that  time  with  docks  and  other  greens, 
but  the  guard  would  not  permit  them  to  enter.  Upon  making 
their  complaints  to  her,  she  took  the  responsibility  upon  her 
self,  told  the  guards  to  let  them  enter  and  collect  them  to  boil 
with  their  salted  provisions.  They  did  so,  and  recovered  grad 
ually  upon  change  of  diet.  Neither  the  guard,  soldiers  or 
herself  were  ever  molested  for  the  liberty  they  had  taken. 

A  short  time  previous  to  the  close  of  the  campaign,  he  said 
a  dinner  party  was  given  at  his  father's,  by  Gen.  Wayne  and 
staff,  to  the  officers  and  many  of  their  neighbors.  A  large 
temporary  table,  capable  of  accommodating  a  hundred  per 
sons  was  prepared  for  the  occasion,  under  the  shade  of  some 
trees  near  the  house,  where  they  partook  of  the  dinner,  there 
being  more  than  a  hundred  persons  who  dined  there  on  the 
occasion,  the  fare  not  being  quite  so  sumptuous  as  some  of  our 
modern  entertainment.  Among  the  guests  on  the  occasion 
was  the  Commander-in-Chief  and  his  wife,  the  wife  of  Gen. 
Wayne,  and  nearly  all  the  generals  and  field  officers  of  the  en 
campment,  and  some  of  the  neighbors  of  both  sexes.  He 
(Lewis  Walker)  says  that  he  was  sent  to  invite  some  of  the 
officers  on  the  occasion,  and  remembered  the  figure  he  made 
at  the  time.  He  mounted  an  old  horse,  without  a  saddle,  with 
a  blind  halter  instead  of  a  bridle  and  thus  equipped  he  rode 
barefooted  about,  to  spread  the  invitations  to  them.  He  re 
lated  to  me  many  other  things  that  occurred  at  the  time,  some 
of  which  have  been  noticed,  others  I  shall  omit. 

Joseph  Walker  died  in  the  year  1818,  in  the  eighty-eighth 
year  of  his  age,  leaving  a  numerous  family  of  descendants. 
Among  the  survivors  of  them  are  two  of  his  sons — Lewis, 
from  whom  most  of  the  contents  of  this  letter  have  been  ob 
tained  ;  and  Enoch  Walker,  now  advanced  in  years  and  resid 
ing  in  Susquehanna  county.  His  son,  Isaac  Walker,  with  whom 
Greene  was  quartered,  resided  at  the  same  place  all  his  days, 
and  died  in  1822  in  the  sixty-eighth  year  of  his  age,  leaving 
also  a  numerous  family  of  children  and  grandchildren,  many 
of  whom  still  reside  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  place. 

I  shall  now  conclude  by  requesting  the  publishers  to  for 
ward  to  Lewis  Walker,  Market  Street,  between  Eleventh  and 
Twelfth,  Philadelphia,  and  Enoch  Walker,  Dimmick  Post 
Office,  Susquehanna  county,  Pa.,  each  a  copy  of  the  paper  con 
taining  this  number.  In  my  next,  I  shall  proceed  with  my  de 
scription  of  the  other  properties  where  officers  were  quartered. 


QUARTERS  OF  GEN.  WAYNE 

original  house,  owned  by  Joseph  Walker,  on  a  corner  of  his 
farm  is  located  New  Centerville.     See  pages  58  and  116-118. 


QUARTERS  OF  GEN.   GREENE 

"Rehobeth,"  the  original  home  of  the  Walkers  in  the  "Great 
Valley,"  on  which  is  built  the  Friends'  Meeting-house, 
parts  of  original  wall  still  standing,  owned  by  Isaac 
Walker,  in  1850  by  Jos.  Walker,  now  by  Charles  Walker. 
See  pages  58  and  116. 


QUARTERS  OF  GEN.  POTTER 

erroneously  accepted  as  the  quarters  of  Gen.  Mifflin,  orig 
inal  house,  bullet  hole  in  the  door,  owned  by  Benj.  Jones 
and  occupied  by  Jacob  Walker,  birthplace  of  the  authoress 
of  the  History  of  the  Walker  family,  now  known  as  the 
"Little  White  Cottage,"  the  quarters  of  Miss  Anne  Thom 
son's  convalescent  children.  See  pages  58  and  119  and 
Preface  to  Third  Edition. 


QUARTERS  OF  GEN.   POOR 

original  house  part  of  present  one,  owned  and  occupied  by 
Benj.  Jones,  now  by  Nathan  Walker.  See  pages  58  and  119. 


LETTER  XXVI 

THE  FARM  OF  BENJAMIN  JONES 

HE  FARMS  where  Potter,  Poor,  Mifflin  and  Sulli 
van  were  quartered,  will  next  claim  our  attention. 
The  farm  of  Jacob  Walker  had  been  disposed  of 
at  the  time  to  Benjamin  Jones.  A  part  of  it  ex 
tended  to  the  Front  Line  Hill,  and  in  common  with 
others,  in  similar  situations,  it  was  laid  waste  and  the  timber 
upon  it  destroyed,  and  some  huts  erected  upon  it.  There  were 
upon  this  farm  two  dwelling  houses — Jacob  Walker  then  oc 
cupying  one;  and  Benjamin  Jones,  the  other.  The  latter  hav 
ing  purchased  the  whole  of  the  property,  he  for  several  years 
carried  on  an  extensive  business  in  the  manufactory  of 
scythes  and  sickles,  but  had  discontinued  it  before  my  recol 
lection.  He  continued  to  reside  on  the  farm  the  remainder  of 
his  days  and  died  at  an  advanced  age,  in  the  year  1815.  The 
house  in  which  he  resided,  and,  where  Poor  was  quartered, 
with  a  few  acres  of  land,  I  think  is  still  held  by  some  of  the 
family.  The  residue  of  the  estate  (the  original  mansion  of 
Jacob  Walker)  is  now  owned  by  a  person  from  Sheffield,  in 
England,  named  Geo.  Greaves,  formerly  extensively  engaged 
in  Sheffield,  in  the  manufactory  of  various  articles  of  cutlery 
and  hardware.  He  does  not  at  present  reside  on  the  property. 
This  farm  has  been  rented  for  many  years,  and  though  a 
highly  productive  one,  yet  it  has  not  been  improved  as  regards 
its  buildings  and  appurtenances,  as  much  as  some  of  the  others 
immediately  surrounding  it. 

FARMS  OF  THOMAS  WATERS 

The  farms  of  Thomas  Waters  adjoined  this  estate  on  the 
northeast.  He  owned  a  large  body  of  land,  consisting  of  four 
farms — three  of  them  in  the  county  of  Chester,  the  other  in 
the  county  of  Montgomery.  I  shall  now  notice  the  two  imme 
diately  adjoining  the  farm  of  Benjamin  Jones.  The  others 
were  not,  as  I  have  ever  been  informed  remarkable  for  any- 
claim  attention.  One  of  the  farms,  at  the  time  of  the  encamp- 
thing  of  sufficient  importance,  during  the  Revolution,  to 
ment,  was  occupied  by  William  Godfrey.  At  this  place  Mifflin 
was  quartered.  He  did  not  remain  there  during  the  whole 
time.  He  retired  to  Reading  for  a  part  of  the  time,  in  order 
to  recruit  his  health  and  strength.  William  Godfrey,  soon  af 
ter  the  close  of  the  war,  removed  to  York  county,  where  he 
died  about  the  year  1813,  advanced  in  years. 


120  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

After  the  burning  of  the  Valley  Forge,  the  family  of  Col 
onel  Dewees  removed  to  this  place  and  continued  there  for 
several  years.  While  residing  here  he  again  resumed  the 
manufacturing  of  iron  at  Valley  Forge,  and  also  engaged  in  a 
similar  business  at  Heidelberg,  in  the  now  county  of  Lebanon. 
He  became  embarrassed  in  his  affairs,  and  was  sold  out  by 
the  Sheriff,  and  the  latter  part  of  his  days  was  spent  in 
poverty  and  neglect  of  the  world.  Thomas  Waters  died  about 
the  year  1791,,  and  by  will  bequeathed  his  property  to  his 
grandson,  Thomas  W.  Dewees.  He  soon  dissipated  the  prop 
erty,  and  disposed  of  it  to  a  person  named  John  Miller,  a  stone 
cutter  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  and  a  native  of  Scotland. 
He  being  a  man  of  wealth  and  enterprise,  soon  after  erected  a 
large  and  substantial  barn,  finished  in  the  most  complete  man 
ned,  and  the  second  one  of  the  kind  erected  in  that  portion  of 
country,  where  so  many  similar  ones  have  since  been  erected. 
John  Miller  died  in  1814.  The  property  was  soon  after  sold 
to  Hananiah  Walker  for  two  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  It  is 
now  owned  by  his  two  sons,  and  divided  into  two  farms.  This 
farm  is  justly  celebrated  for  its  fertility  of  soil,  and  for  hav 
ing  water  in  every  enclosure  upon  it. 

The  farm  on  which  Thomas  Walker  lived  during  the  Revo 
lution  was  situate  on  the  northwest  of  the  one  last  described, 
and  lying  near  the  lines  of  the  encampment,  but  not  extend 
ing  to  them.  It  was  here  the  Hessians  found  the  money,  and 
it  was  here  the  British  drove  away  the  cattle,  and  took  many 
other  things.  Here  General  Sullivan  was  quartered,  and  it 
was  here  that  Thomas  Waters  and  Colonel  Dewees  both  died. 
It  was  also  here  that  the  family  of  Colonel  Dewees,  after  his 
embarrassment  and  the  death  of  Thomas  Waters,  retired  to 
reside.  The  property  being  bequeathed  to  Waters  Dewees,  sub 
ject  to  a  life  right  in  it  for  his  mother,  amounting  in  sub 
stance  to  the  whole  of  the  income  of  the  farm.  Colonel  De- 
wees,  as  noticed  in  a  former  communication,  died  in  the  year 
1809. 

THE  WIDOW  OF  COL.  DEWEES  INDEMNIFIED 

About  seven  years  after  his  death,  his  widow  and  some 
of  the  heirs,  finding  the  papers  relative  to  the  claim  on  gov 
ernment,  for  damages  sustained  by  the  burning  of  Valley 
Forge,  again  resumed  their  petition  to  that  body,  and  after 
carrying  it  through  two  successive  sessions,  in  the  first  being 
negatived,  but  in  the  second  passed  by  both  houses,  and  a 
compensation  of  seven  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  allowed 
them.  During  the  time  of  its  prosecution,  I  was  engaged  in 
the  store  of  a  son-in-law  of  the  Colonel's,  in  the  city  of  Phila 
delphia,  and  had  to  call  upon  Caleb  North,  William  Jackson, 
George  A.  Baker,  and  several  others  of  the  surviving  officers 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  121 

of  the  Revolution,  to  procure  their  signatures  to  the 
of  his  having  witnessed  the  conflagration  from  an  eminence  on 
Mount  Joy.  On  account  of  his  knowledge  of  the  country,  he 
being  a  native  of  Chester  county,  his  place  of  abode  not  be 
ing  more  than  twelve  miles  from  the  place,  he  had  been  sent, 
as  noticed,  incognito,  to  watch  the  movements  of  the  detach 
ment  of  the  British  army  that  destroyed  it.  Upon  presenting 
him  with  the  papers,  he  read  them  with  emotion,  particularly 
the  certificates  of  Washington,  Wayne,  Mifflin  and  other  offi 
cers  of  the  Revolution,  drawing  at  the  same  time  the  lively 
recollection  of  what  he  had  beheld,  and  the  scenes  he  had 
passed  through,  and  observed  that  it  required  something  more 
of  him  than  a  mere  signature.  He  accordingly  prepared  a  cer 
tificate  setting  forth  a  statement  of  the  facts,  to  accompany 
the  documents,  to  the  city  of  Washington. 

The  widow  of  Colonel  Dewees  continued  to  reside  here  un 
til  the  spring  of  1821.  The  property  was  then  sold  to  Mordecai 
Davis.  It  has  since  passed  into  the  ownership  of  his  son,  Jo 
seph  Davis,  the  present  proprietor.  The  widow  of  Colonel  De- 
wees  died  at  Valley  Forge  in  the  latter  part  of  1822,  aged  near 
eighty  years.  This  farm  is  fertile  and  highly  productive  in 
its  nature.  Upon  it  was  erected  in  the  year  1799,  the  first  large 
and  commodious  stone  barn  in  that  part  of  the  country,  it 
being  ninety  feet  in  length,  and  forty-five  inwidth.  This 
farm  has  long  been  celebrated  on  account  of  the  number  of 
cattle  that  are  annually  fed  upon  it  by  its  present  owner,  and 
also  of  the  numerous  agricultural  products  that  are  raised 
upon  it,  particulary  wheat,  Indian  corn  and  hay. 

FARM  OF  ABIJAH  STEPHENS 

All  the  property  lying  between  this  farm  and  the  Front 
Line  Hill,  in  Chester  county,  belonged  at  the  time  of  the  en 
campment  to  Abijah  Stephens  (my  grandfather).  Much  has 
already  been  said  concerning  it,  in  connection  with  the  ac 
counts  of  the  Revolution.  I  shall  say  but  little  further  on  the 
subject.  The  natural  fertility  of  the  soil  is  the  same  as  those 
already  mentioned  as  lying  in  the  rich  Valley  of  Chester 
county,  but  owing  to  its  proximity  to  the  camp,  and  other 
causes  that  I  have  mentioned,  it  not  only  suffered  more  se 
verely,  and  was  placed  in  a  situation  more  difficult  to  overcome 
the  disadvantages  under  which  it  was  placed.  My  grand 
father  was  a  selft-taught  surgeon  and  practitioner  in  the  art 
of  healing  ulcers,  abscesses  of  various  kinds,  setting  of  broken 
bones  and  dislocations,  curing  spasms,  cuts  and  bruises,  but 
never  undertook  to  attend  in  cases  of  sickness  of  any  kind.  At 
this  time  the  number  of  physicians  was  very  limited,  and  he 
having  an  extensive  practice,  did  not  engage  in  the  resusci 
tating  of  his  farm  with  that  energy  that  characterized  some 


122  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

others.  The  improvements  were  more  gradual.  In  his  life  time 
the  land  was  fenced,  the  soil  cultivated,  but  with  the  excep. 
tion  of  a  new  house  erected  by  him,  where  he  lived  the  latter 
part  of  his  life,  he  erected  no  other  buildings  upon  it.  His 
farm,  at  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  consisted  of  about  three 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land,  about  one  hundred  and  thirty 
of  which  he  disposed  of  in  his  life  time.  He  died  on  the 
twenty-first  day  of  the  eleventh  month  (November),  one  thou 
sand,  eight  hundred  and  two,  aged  seventy  years  and  nine 
months.  He  was  born  the  same  day  as  General  Washington. 
Through  life  he  sustained  the  character  of  an  affectionate 
husband  and  father,  friend  and  honest  man,  his  fame  as  a 
practitioner,  in  various  instances,  is  still  remembered,  and  the 
virtue  of  his  celebrated  adhesive,  sticking  plaster  will  long 
be  remembered,  and  used  as  a  valuable  and  important  family 
acquisition. 

He  left  at  his  death,  one  son  and  six  daughters.  By  will 
he  bequeathed  the  great  body  of  his  land  to  his  son,  Stephen 
Stephens,  who  deceased  about  five  years  ago.  The  original 
mansion  and  other  buildings  on  the  property,  at  the  time  of 
the  Revolution,  have  all  been  superseded  by  new  ones,  and 
since  his  death  that  part  of  the  estate  has  been  divided  into 
three  parts,  and  it  is  now  owned  by  one  of  his  sons,  who  re 
sides  near  the  original  mansion.  His  daughter  owns  an 
other  portion  of  it,  and  three  of  his  grandchildren  the  residue. 
A  part  of  this  property  is  now  in  possession  of  the  sixth 
generation  of  the  lineal  descent  of  Evan  ap  Bevan,  their  orig 
inal  ancestor. 

A  small  portion,  consisting  of  eleven  acres  of  land,  with 
the  appurtenances,  has  recently,  on  account  of  the  death  of 
one  of  the  daughters  of  Abijah  Stephens,  been  disposed  of  out 
of  the  family.  The  residue  is  still  in  possession  of  some 
branches  of  the  family.  The  descendants  of  Abijah  Stephens 
are  very  numerous,  though  but  few  of  them  now  bear  the 
name. 

I  have  now  finished  a  description  of  all  the  property  lying 
in  the  county  of  Chester,  as  contemplated  in  my  original  de 
sign.  In  my  next  I  shall  proceed  to  that  portion  lying  in  the 
county  of  Montgomery. 

I  had  originally  anticipated  concluding  these  narratives 
with  this  number,  but  I  find  I  shall  not  be  able  to  do  so,  as 
there  are  yet  some  very  interesting  accounts  of  the  improve 
ments  that  have  lately  taken  place,  and  some  occurrences 
and  reminiscences  that  have  transpired  in  that  section  of 
country,  particularly  in  that  portion  of  it  that  has  not  yet 
been  fully  described.  I  shall,  therefore,  be  under  the  neces 
sity  of  adding  a  few  more  additional  numbers  to  those  that 
have  been  finished. 


QUARTERS  OF  GEN.  MIFFLIN. 

original  house  razed,  site  designated  by  x,  having  stood 
across  lane  from  the  barn,  present  house  some  distance  to 
northeast,  owned  by  Thos.  Waters,  tenanted  by  Wm.  God 
frey,  within  present  recollection  home  of  Havard  Walker, 
now  by  Commissioner  John  R.  K.  Scott.  See  pages  58  and 
119  and  120,  also  the  Preface  to  Third  edition. 


QUARTERS  OF  GEN.  SULLIVAN. 

original  house  razed,  but  foundation,  about  50  feet  in 
length,  clearly  discernible,  to  rear  of  the  present  house, 
home  of  Thos.  Waters,  long  known  as  a  Davis  farm,  now 
owned  by  Commissioner  John  R.  K.  Scott.  See  pages  38, 
40-41,  58,  120-121. 


QUARTERS  OF  GEN.  MORGAN  AND  THE  COMMISSARY  GENERAL 

original  building  and  cave,  owned  by  Mordecai  Moore,  later 
by  Alexander  Kennedy,  then  by  David  Zook,  now  by  Sen. 
Croft.  See  pages  57,  123-124. 


QUARTERS  OF  GEN.   MUHLENBERG. 

original  house,  east  of  Port  Kennedy,  owned  by  John  Moore, 
now  by  Mr.  Irvin.     See  pages  57,  124-125. 


LETTER  XXVII 
THE  MOORE  PROPERTIES 

HE  PROPERTY  embraced  in  the  lines  of  the  en 
campment,  and  lying  in  the  northeastern  and 
northern  section  of  it,  in  the  county  of  Mont 
gomery,  will  claim  our  notice  in  this  communica 
tion.  The  greater  portion  of  this  property  at  that 
time  belonged  to  John  and  Mordecai  Moore,  and  has  been  no 
ticed  in  some  former  numbers.  On  this  property  fortifica 
tions  were  constructed  and  pickets  placed.  At  John  Moore's, 
which  was  the  furthest  from  Headquarters,  Muhlenberg  was 
quartered  in  company  with  a  number  of  inferior  officers; 
and  at  the  house  of  Mordecai  Moore,  the  Commissary  Gen 
eral  of  the  army  was  stationed,  and  General  Morgan  was  oc 
casionally  quartered  at  the  place. 

Much  has  been  already  said  concerning  this  property  in 
the  general  account  of  the  encampment.  I  shall,  therefore, 
in  this  number  inform  my  readers,  that  Mordecai  Moore 
continued  to  reside  there  till  the  spring  of  1801.  He  had 
raised  a  family  of  six  sons  and  two  daughters;  these  had  all 
left  him  previous  to  that  time.  His  daughters  were  married, 
and  his  sons  had  principally  removed  to  other  parts  of  the 
country  to  seek  their  fortunes — some  as  mechanics  and  two 
as  professional  men.  He  and  his  wife,  being  advanced  in 
years  and  the  property  resuscitated  from  the  effects  of  the 
war,  removed  to  Abington  township  in  the  same  county,  to 
reside  with  their  son,  who  was  settled  there  as  a  practitioner 
of  medicine,  and  rented  his  farm  during  the  residue  of  his 
life.  He  died  at  Abington  in  the  summer  of  1803,  advanced 
in  years. 

ALEXANDER  KENNEDY 

Some  time  after  his  decease,  the  property  was  sold  to 
Alexander  Kennedy,  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  removed  to  re 
side  upon  it  in  1805,  and  continued  there  until  his  death,  in 
the  fall  of  1844,  aged  sixty-three  years.  From  a  small  be 
ginning  upon  his  arrival  in  this  country,  he  increased  in 
wealth  and  property,  and  at  the  same  time  by  an  exemplary 
life  and  character,  he  lived  universally  respected,  and  died 
sincerely  lamented,  not  only  by  his  family,  but  also  by  a 
large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances.  I  may  here  notice 
something  concerning  him,  that  shows  the  reverses  of  fortune 
that  people  sometimes  pass  through.  When  he  first  arrived  in 


124  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

the  country,  he  was  engaged  in  the  capacity  of  a  footman,  to 
a  person  in  the  neighborhood,  of  a  haughty  disposition,  and 
it  was  his  business  to  hold  his  horse,  follow  him  on  foot  from 
place  to  place,  to  take  care  of  it  when  he  rode  out  in  his 
chair,  and  perform  other  menial  services.  In  the  course  of 
a  few  years  time  became  altered;  the  servant  became  a  man 
of  wealth  and  respectability,  the  master  became  a  poor,  dis 
tressed  and  debilitated  object,  scarcely  able  to  travel  from 
one  house  to  another — an  evidence  of  the  truth  of  the  declara 
tion  of  the  wise  man,  that  "pride  goeth  before  destruction, 
and  a  haughty  spirit  before  a  fall.'*  I  have  seen  him  when 
thus  reduced,  ask  of  Alexander  Kennedy  to  allow  him  the 
privilege  of  riding  in  his  ox-cart,  such  were  the  reverses 
of  fortune  that  had  overtaken  him.  But  to  resume  the  sub 
ject. 

After  the  decease  of  Alexander  Kennedy,  his  family  con 
tinued  to  reside  on  the  property  until  the  spring  of  1837.  It 
was  then  sold  to  David  Zook,  the  present  owner  and  occu 
pant  of  the  greater  part  of  it.  He  married  a  granddaughter 
of  Mordecai  Moore,  so  that  a  part  of  the  property  has  now 
got  into  possession  of  a  branch  of  its  original  owner.  The 
southwestern  portion  of  the  farm,  that  part  on  which  the 
huts  and  breastworks  were  erected,  is  now  owned  by  Abra 
ham  Beidler.  The  whole  of  the  property  originally  belong 
ing  to  the  Moore  family,  and  owned  by  Alexander  Kennedy  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  consisting  of  more  than  two  hundred 
acres,  is  under  a  state  of  high  cultivation  and  is  abundantly 
productive,  and  continues  improving  under  the  present  en 
terprising  owners  of  it. 

The  farm  or  rather  farms  of  John  Moore  will  now  claim 
our  attention.  As  noticed  in  a  former  letter,  John  Moore,  the 
owner  of  them,  at  the  time  Muhlenberg  took  up  his  headquar 
ters  at  the  place,  died  soon  after,  on  the  first  day  of  the 
year  1778.  Two  of  his  sons,  John  and  Richard  Moore,  took 
possession  of  the  property.  The  mansion  where  Muhlenberg 
was  quartered  was  taken  by  Richard  Moore,  and  was  the 
farthest  extent  of  the  lines  of  the  encampment  in  a  north 
eastern  direction,  and  nearest  to  the  city  of  Philadelphia. 
Another  farm,  lying  on  the  west  of  this  property  and  nearer 
the  Schuylkill,  the  one  on  which  the  fort  was  erected,  and 
also  a  considerable  number  of  the  huts,  was  taken  by  John 
Moore.  They  both  held  these  farms  during  their  lives. 
John  Moore  died  in  the  spring  of  1822,  and  Richard  Moore 
in  the  fall  of  1823;  they  both  were  at  their  decease  between 
sixty-five  and  seventy  years  of  age.  During  their  lifetimes 
they  had  each  purchased  considerable  real  estate  adjoining 
their  paternal  farms,  which  will  be  noticed  in  some  future 
numbers.  The  children  of  John  Moore  now  own  none  of 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  125 

the  real  estate;  it  has  passed  into  the  ownership  of  different 
persons — some  during  his  lifetime,  the  residue  since  his 
death.  The  two  sons  of  Richard  Moore,  Edwin  and  Samuel, 
now  own  all  the  real  estate  of  their  father  held  by  him  at 
his  decease;  and  the  former  one  now  (1850)  owns  the  man 
sion  and  about  seventy  acres  of  the  farm  of  John  Moore. 
These  farms,  together  with  the  others  I  have  been  describ 
ing,  are  all  situated  in  the  Great  Valley;  and  for  richness 
of  soil,  convenience  of  market,  contiguity  of  railroads,  canals 
and  turnpikes,  abundance  of  limestone  and  other  advantages 
which  might  be  enumerated,  are  such  as  place  it  in  a  situa 
tion  that  is  not  excelled  by  any  other  portion  of  country  in 
Eastern  Pennsylvania.  On  the  farm  of  Edwin  Moore  are 
several  large  and  beautiful  springs  of  limestone  water.  They 
issue  out  of  the  northwest  side  of  a  hill  about  a  mile  from 
the  Schuylkill,  supplying  in  their  course  a  large  flouring  mill 
with  a  constant  supply  of  water;  and  so  uniform  is  the  quan 
tity  that  it  is  not  impeded  by  drought  in  summer  or  frost 
in  winter.  To  describe  the  beauty  of  the  largest  of  these 
springs  and  the  transparency  of  the  water  issuing  from  them 
in  a  meandering  course  until  it  reaches  the  mill  dam,  is  not 
in  my  power.  They  must  be  seen  to  be  duly  appreciated.  The 
stream  in  my  earlier  clays  used  to  be  noted  for  its  abundance 
of  fine  trout,  and  was  much  frequented  by  anglers.  To  the 
truth  of  this  assertion  my  friend,  William  Henry,  of  Doyles- 
town,  can  bear  ample  proof.  Of  late  they  have  much  de 
creased.  Belonging  to  Edwin  and  Samuel  Moore  is  a  piece 
of  land  containing  in  connection  with  about  fifteen  acres  of 
land  in  Montgomery  county,  now  in  possession  of  our  family, 
that  is  known  by  the  name  of  the  mine  land  on  account  of 
its  having  been  purchased  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  years 
ago  (1700)  by  a  company  of  people  for  the  purpose  of  digging 
for  copper.  As  the  business  of  mining  in  this  line  has  re 
cently  been  commenced  in  many  places  in  that  vicinity,  I 
shall  devote  a  greater  portion  of  time  to  a  more  general  ac 
count  of  it  in  some  future  numbers. 

The  greater  part  of  the  country  that  I  have  described  on 
the  western  side  of  the  Schuylkill,  particularly  that  part  lying 
in  the  Great  Valley,  was  laid  waste,  and  but  little  exertion 
was  made  by  most  of  the  owners  of  it  to  improve  it  until 
after  the  conclusion  of  the  war.  They  then  commenced  the 
restoration  of  their  farms.  The  hand  of  industry  soon  caused 
the  face  of  the  country  to  assume  a  different  aspect,  but  it 
was  for  many  years  after  before  some  of  it  was  restored. 
In  commencing  this  work  they  encountered  many  difficulties. 
Continental  money  died  on  their  hands.  The  government 
was  for  many  years  after  in  a  very  unsettled  state.  The  for 
eign  trade  was  crippled  by  the  war.  And  many  other  dis 
couraging  circumstances  had  to  be  surmounted  by  perse- 


126  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

vering  industry  and  patient  resignation.  In  the  few  years 
these  were  overcome;  their  lands  were  enclosed;  where 
lately  nothing  was  beheld  but  desolation  could  be  seen  the 
fruitful  fields  crowned  with  abundance  of  grain  of  every 
description,  for  the  sustenance  of  man  and  beast,  and  in  sum 
mer  clad  with  verdant  grass,  on  which  flocks  and  herds  were 
quietly  feeding  and  the  whole  face  of  the  country  bearing 
witness  of  the  blessings  of  peace  in  contrast  with  the  evils 
of  war.  The  adoption  of  the  present  Constitution  of  the 
United  States,  the  revival  of  trade  and  commerce,  the  de 
mand  of  our  produce  in  foreign  ports,  and  the  establish 
ment  of  a  sound  currency,  soon  placed  the  agricultural  inter 
ests  of  that  period  on  a  firm  and  lucrative  foundation. 

A  DIGNIFIED  VISITOR  IN  A  PLAIN  SUIT  OF  BLACK 

I  shall  close  this  communication  with  an  account  I  have 
often  heard  related  by  my  father.  In  the  latter  part  of  the 
summer  of  1796,  he  was  engaged  in  ploughing  in  a  field  near 
the  Front  Line  Hill.  It  was  in  the  afternoon  of  the  day,  and 
observed  an  elderly  person  of  a  very  dignified  appearance, 
dressed  in  a  plain  suit  of  black,  on  horseback,  accompanied 
by  a  black  waiter,  ride  to  a  place  in  the  road  opposite  to  him, 
where  he  alighted  from  his  horse  and  came  into  the  field 
to  him,  and  shaking  hands  cordially  with  him,  told  him  he 
had  called  to  make  some  inquiry  of  him,  concerning  the 
owners  and  occupants  of  the  different  places  about  there, 
and  also  in  regard  to  the  system  of  farming  practised  in  that 
part  of  the  country,  the  kinds  of  grain  and  vegetables  raised, 
the  time  of  sowing  and  planting,  the  best  method  of  tilling 
the  ground,  the  quantity  raised,  and  numerous  other  things 
relative  to  farming  and  agriculture,  and  asking  after  some 
families  in  the  neighborhood.  As  answers  were  given  he 
noted  them  down  in  a  memorandum  book. 

My  father  informed  him  that  he  was  unable  to  give  as 
correct  information  as  he  could  wish,  as  he  had  not  been 
brought  up  to  the  farming  business,  and  was  not  a  native 
of  that  part  of  the  country,  having  settled  there  since  the 
war,  that  he  came  from  North  Carolina,  where  he  resided 
previous  to  the  Revolution,  that  he  had  been  in  the  army  and 
was  one  of  the  number  encamped  there  during  the  war.  This 
gave  a  new  turn  to  the  conversation.  The  stranger  informed 
him  that  he  had  also  been  in  the  army  and  encamped  there, 
and  was  expecting  in  a  few  months  to  leave  the  city  of  Phila 
delphia,  with  no  prospect  of  ever  returning.  He  had  taken 
a  journey  to  visit  the  place,  view  the  old  encampment  ground, 
which  had  been  the  scene  of  so  much  suffering  and  distress, 
and  see  how  far  the  inhabitants  were  recovering  from  the 
disasters  they  had  experienced,  and  the  losses  they  had  sus- 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  127 

tained  from  that  event,  adding  that  his  name  was  George 
Washington. 

Upon  receiving  this  information,  my  father  told  him  that 
his  costume  and  appearance  were  so  altered  that  he  did  not 
recognize  him,  or  he  would  have  paid  more  respect  to  his 
old  Commander  and  the  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  Union.  He 
replied  that  to  see  the  people  happy  and  satisfied,  and  the 
desolate  fields  recovering  from  the  disasters  they  had  experi 
enced,  and  particularly  to  meet  with  any  old  companion  of  his 
in  arms  and  suffering  now  peacefully  engaged  in  the  most 
useful  of  all  employments,  afforded  him  more  real  satisfac 
tion  than  all  the  servile  homage  that  could  be  paid  to  his 
person  or  station.  He  then  asked  his  name,  noted  it  in  his 
memorandum  book,  and  said  that  pressing  engagements  ren 
dered  it  necessary  for  him  to  return  to  the  city  that  night, 
or  he  would  visit  some  of  his  former  friends  at  their  houses. 
Then  taking  him  by  the  hand  bade  him  an  affectionate  fare 
well. 

In  my  next,  I  shall  describe  the  property  in  the  county  of 
Montgomery,  in  the  lines  of  the  encampment,  lying  on  the 
river. 


LETTER  XXVIII 

LAETITIA  PENN'S  MANOR 

|HE  PROPERTY  I  shall  now  proceed  to  describe  con 
sists  of  a  tract  of  land  lying  in  the  county  of  Mont 
gomery,  on  the  river  Schuylkill,  extending  down 
the  same  from  the  Valley  Forge  tract  to  the  north 
of  a  small  stream  (originally  called  Cedar  Creek), 
and  bounded  on  the  southeast  by  a  line  called  the  Bilton  Line, 
commencing  near  the  mouth  of  the  stream,  and  running  a 
southwesterly  course  until  it  strikes  the  Valley  Creek,  a  part 
of  said  line  being  the  county  line  of  Chester  and  Montgomery 
counties. 

This  tract  containing  more  than  a  thousand  acres  was 
called  "Laetitia  Penn's  Manor,"  on  account  of  it  having  been 
given  by  William  Penn  to  his  daughter  Laetitia.  The  greater 
part  of  it  has  been  referred  to  as  the  property  of  David 
Stephens,  William  Smith  and  the  place  where  the  commander 
of  the  Second  Regiment  was  quartered. 

THE  JENKINS-MORRIS  FARM 

There  is  one  farm  lying  on  the  river,  adjoining  the  latter 
one,  and  still  lower  down,  that  having  suffered  in  some  meas 
ure  from  the  effects  of  the  encampment,  I  shall  therefore  take 
some  notice  of  it.  This  was  owned  by  a  person  named  Jenkins. 
He  first  settled  there  more  than  one  hundred  years  ago  (before 
1750).  From  him  a  pool  in  the  river,  celebrated  for  it  depth 
and  good  fishing,  and  also  an  island  took  their  names. 

This  property  passed  into  other  hands,  more  than  eighty 
years  ago.  But  whether  sold  by  him  in  his  life  time  or  since 
his  death,  I  cannot  say.  He  died  about  that  time.  My  mother 
deceased  a  little  more  than  three  years  since,  in  the  eighty- 
ninth  year  of  her  age,  remembered  him,  though  she  was  very 
young  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  a  Welshman,  and  used 
to  converse  with  her  grandmother  in  that  language.  This  was 
the  principal  recollection  she  had  of  him.  At  the  time  of  the 
Revolution  and  for  more  than  twenty  years  after,  it  belonged 
to  Robert  Morris,  the  great  financier  and  the  founder  of  Mor- 
risville  in  this  county  (Bucks).  After  his  embarrassment  it 
was  sold  by  the  Sheriff  to  John  Moore,  and  with  the  excep 
tion  of  the  mill  and  appurtenances  and  fifteen  acres  of  land 
sold  to  Isaac  Beaver,  it  was  held  by  him  till  his  death  in  1822. 
It  was  soon  after  sold  to  Dennis  Conard,  the  present  owner 
and  occupant.  The  original  mansion  erected  by  Jenkins  is,  I 
think,  still  standing  on  the  property,  though  new  and  substan- 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  129 

tial  buildings  have  been  erected  upon  it  by  the  present  proprie 
tor.  At  the  time  of  the  war  this  property  was  occupied  by  a 
minister  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  named  Abraham  Griffith, 
and  it  more  than  probable  that  some  officers  may  have  been 
quartered  there.  It  suffered  some  little  destruction  of  timber 
from  the  soldiers,  but  owning  to  its  distance  from  the  main 
body  of  the  encampment,  it  was  not  so  much  devastated  as 
some  others. 

While  this  property  belonged  to  Robert  Morris,  he  used 
sometimes  to  form  parties  for  the  purpose  of  fishing  for  the 
speckled  trout  that  abounded  in  the  stream  on  and  near  the 
premises,  to  which  he  invited  the  President  and  heads  of  the 
different  departments  of  government,  members  of  Congress 
and  other  distinguished  officers  and  citizens  of  Philadelphia, 
numbers  of  whom  often  attended  on  these  occasions  for  the 
two-fold  object  of  enjoying  the  pleasure  of  the  party  and  visit 
ing  the  old  ground  of  the  encampment. 

PORT    KENNEDY 

The  farm  mentioned  as  the  quarters  of  the  commander  of 
the  Second  Regiment,  and  the  next  in  course  as  we  proceed  up 
the  river,  with  the  one  next  above,  where  the  provost's  guard 
was  placed,  were  originally  owned  by  a  person  named  Egling- 
ton,  who  left  two  daughters,  to  whom  the  property  descended. 
One  of  them  named  Mary,  to  whom  the  former  one  belonged 
married  a  person  named  David  Riley,  and  for  some  years  re 
sided  upon  it.  This  was  previous  to  the  Revolution.  They 
mortgaged  this  property  to  a  person  named  Thomas  Hazelton, 
and  neither  principal  or  interest  of  the  mortgage  was  paid. 
The  Rileys  moved  off  the  property,  and  upon  the  death  of 
Hazelton,  the  claim  descended  to  his  two  daughters,  who  took 
possession  of  it  by  virtue  of  the  mortgage.  One  of  them  mar 
ried  a  sea  captain  named  Alexander  Hodgson,  the  other  went 
to  England,  lived  there  the  remainder  of  her  days,  and  died 
unmarried  within  the  last  thirty  years.  Alexander  Hodgson 
died  more  than  forty  years  ago.  His  widow  died  since  my 
removal  to  this  county  (about  1828) .  They  left  no  children. 

My  first  recollection  of  this  property  was  when  in  the 
fourth  year  of  my  age.  It  was  then  occupied  by  Michael  Shur. 
It  was  then  called  Hodgson's  place,  and  celebrated  on  account 
of  a  great  spring  that  rises  upon  it  by  two  distinct  heads, 
which  issue  from  under  a  large  beech  tree,  and  unite  together 
immediately  after  flowing  from  the  hill.  Either  of  these 
springs  are  as  large  as  Ingham's  great  spring  in  this  county, 
but  rising  so  near  the  river,  and  not  possessing  sufficient  natur 
al  advantages,  the  water  power  has  never  been  used  for  manu 
facturing  purposes.  There  is  one  thing  remarkable  about  these 
springs,  that  is,  that  though  they  rise  within  a  few  feet  of 


130  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

each  other,  the  one  is  soft  sandstone,  the  other  hard  limestone 
water. 

This  place  having  with  others  suffered  from  the  effects  of 
the  encampment,  it  did  not,  like  some  others,  advance  in  the 
same  course  of  improvement.  The  greater  part  of  it  lay  a 
common  for  more  than  fifty  years  after,  doubts  as  to  the 
ownership  of  it  preventing  much  improvement  being  made 
upon  it.  The  Hazelton  family  holding  it  by  virtue  of  the  mort 
gage,  and  the  Riley  family  having  moved  off  without  paying 
principal  or  interest,  or  in  any  other  way  disposing  of  it,  the 
fences  went  to  decay.  The  buildings  were  poor  and  trifling, 
the  soil  became  exhausted,  and  for  many  years  previous  to  the 
year  1820,  the  greater  part  of  it  was  the  picture  of  desolation 
and  barrenness. 

About  this  time  seven-sixteenths  of  the  whole  estate  was 
sold  by  an  agent  of  the  widow  Hodgson  to  Alexander  Ken 
nedy,  John  Elliott,  John  Frick  and  Lewis  Wanwag.  The  other 
sixteenth  which  was  her  full  share,  was  retained  by  the  agent 
until  a  disputed  line  should  be  settled.  Previous  to  the  fall  of 
1824,  Alexander  Kennedy  purchased  all  the  right  and  interest 
in  the  property  belonging  to  John  Elliott  and  Lewis  Wanwag  so 
that  at  the  time  of  his  decease  he  was  owner  of  three-eights  of 
the  whole  estate.  Since  that  time  his  heirs  have  purchased 
the  right  and  title  of  all  the  other  owners,  thus  becoming  ab 
solute  owners  of  the  whole  property.  The  estate,  with  the  ex 
ception  of  some  building  lots,  and  about  thirteen  acres  of  lime 
stone  land,  the  latter  sold  to  Robert  Bethel,  formerly  of  this 
county,  now  belongs  to  William,  David  R.,  and  John  Ken 
nedy.  There  is  now  (1850)  on  this  property  more  than  fifty 
houses,  sixty  lime  kilns  in  constant  operation,  employing  more 
than  four  hundred  men;  a  large  hotel,  three  stories  high  and 
forty  feet  square;  four  stores,  two  blacksmith  shops  and 
wheelright  shops;  and  numerous  other  manufacturing  trades 
carried  on  at  the  place ;  and  two  lumber  yards  and  several  coal 
yards,  doing  an  extensive  business. 

This  place  is  called  Port  Kennedy,  and  is  celebrated  for 
the  great  quantity  of  lime  that  is  burnt,  and  shipped  in  canal 
boats  annually  from  there  to  various  parts  of  the  states  of 
Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  Delaware  and  Maryland.  The 
amount  sent  from  this  place  during  last  year,  I  was  informed 
by  two  of  the  proprietors,  was  more  than  one  million,  two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  bushels.  We  may  then  safely 
hazard  the  opinion  that  it  is  the  most  extensive  operation,  in 
that  line  of  business,  in  the  Union.  Here,  at  times  and  sea 
sons,  on  working  days,  if  some  unavoidable  circumstance  does 
not  prevent,  may  be  seen  the  jolly  sons  of  Emerald  Isle,  s*ome 
driving  their  carts  loaded  with  lime  and  coal,  to  and  from 
the  river,  some  hauling  stones  to  fill  the  kilns,  others  are 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  131 

quarrying,  some  engaged  in  filling,  while  others  are  loading 
carts,  and,  in  fact  all  the  different  operations  attendant  upon 
it,  are  conducted  at  the  same  time,  at  different  kilns,  belong 
ing  to  the  same  person.  Each  of  the  workmen  appearing  to 
enjoy  themselves  in  their  different  avocations,  if  the  joyous 
song  or  merry  whistle  may  be  taken  as  an  evidence  of  con 
tentment.  The  boats  that  carry  the  lime  from  the  place  are 
large  and  commodious,  and  of  last  the  most  of  them  furnished 
with  masts  and  sail  to  be  used  in  tide-water.  They  generally 
contain  about  three  thousand  bushels. 

In  addition  to  the  different  branches  of  business  men 
tioned  above,  it  may  also  be  noticed  that  the  arable  land  has 
been  much  improved  by  the  present  active  and  enterprising 
owrners;  so  that  the  land  which  for  half  a  century  lay  bar 
ren  and  unproductive,  a  waste  and  almost  useless  common, 
now  abounds  with  plenty,  and  is  enclosed,  producing  an  abund 
ance  of  the  fruits  of  the  earth  for  the  sustenance  of  mankind. 
An  evidence  of  the  truth  of  it  is  apparent  by  the  large  and 
well-filled  barns  on  the  premises. 

The  Reading  Railroad  passes  through  the  property,  and 
last  year  (1849)  a  bridge  was  constructed  across  the  river, 
which  more  intimately  connects  the  business  on  both  sides  of 
the  river;  and  while  it  is  of  mutual  benefit,  it  will  have  a 
tendency  to  still  enhance  the  value  of  real  estate  in  the  imme 
diate  vicinity ;  though  it  is  now  to  be  regretted  that  recent  in 
juries  done  to  it  by  freshets  have  rendered  it  at  present  unfit 
for  crossing  with  vehicles  of  any  kind.  It  is  now  being  re 
paired. 

The  quarries  and  limekilns  on  this  property  are  objects  of 
great  importance,  but  I  shall  fail  giving  a  full  description  of 
them.  These,  independent  of  other  things,  equally  interesting, 
would  be  worthy  of  a  visit.  The  limestone  lies  near  the  sur 
face,  and  is  easily  quarried.  There  are  two  hills  of  consider 
able  elevation  extending  about  three-fourths  of  the  whole 
length  of  the  farm,  which  are  a  solid  body  of  limestone.  A 
small  vale  of  about  sixty  feet  in  width  passes  between  them, 
and  gradually  descends  toward  the  river,  which  is  the  great 
thoroughfare  for  the  numerous  teams  employed  in  conducting 
the  business.  Acres  of  ground  have  been  excavated  for  the 
purpose  of  procuring  limetone.  In  some  places  roads  or  cart- 
ways  have  been  cut  through  solid  bodies  of  limestone  and  lead 
to  quarries  belonging  to  different  persons,  one  of  which  I  lately 
examined.  It  had  then  a  base  line  on  a  level  with  the  cause 
way,  of  about  one  hundred  and  thirteen  feet.  Its  perpendicu 
lar  height  was  about  eighty  feet,  and  it  extended  in  length 
more  than  two  hundred  feet.  This  quarry  is  owned  by  David 
Zook,  who  has  purchased  a  small  portion  of  the  estate,  and  is 
extensively  engaged  in  the  lime  business.  A  public  road  now 


132  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

passes  through  this  property,  between  these  two  hills,  and 
leads  from  Port  Kennedy,  through  a  part  of  the  old  encamp 
ment,  to  the  Gulf  Road.  The  lime  kilns  are  erected  at  various 
places — some  on  the  river,  others  on  both  sides  of  the  road  just 
mentioned,  generally  from  six  to  twelve  abreast,  and  containing 
from  two  to  three  thousand  bushels.  It  may  also  be  observed 
that  several  large  basins  have  been  excavated  on  the  river, 
for  the  purpose  of  boats  entering  to  receive  and  discharge 
their  cargoes,  and  there  are  also  a  few  docks  for  boats  to  enter 
for  similar  purposes. 

The  greater  part  of  the  business  of  the  place  is  done 
through  the  medium  of  the  canal.  Coal  and  lumber  are  brought 
in  this  way — the  former  from  the  mines  in  the  county  of 
Schuylkill,  the  latter  generally  from  the  Susquehanna  by  way 
of  the  Union  Canal.  Little  business  is  done  here,  or  at  any 
other  place  on  the  river  by  the  Reading  Railroad,  when  the 
navigation  is  open,  except  that  the  mail  is  transported  by  the 
locomotive  train  of  cars,  and  a  passenger  train  stops  daily 
at  this  place.  There  is  a  postoffice  also  established  here,  called 
Port  Kennedy  Postoffice.  The  Reading  Railroad  is  chiefly  em 
ployed  in  conveying  coal  from  Pottsville  to  Richmond  on  the 
Delaware,  having  enough  to  do  in  that  line.  Much  more  might 
be  said  concerning  the  changes  and  improvements  this  prop 
erty  has  undergone  within  the  last  twenty  years,  were  it 
deemed  requisite.  Enough  has  been  said  to  show  the  bless 
ings  of  peace,  enterprise  and  industry,  in  contrast  with  the 
curses  of  war,  devastation  and  destruction. 

I  shall  conclude  with  some  observations  that  I  heard  made 
a  few  years  ago  by  an  old  man  now  living  in  Abington  town 
ship,  Montgomery  county,  who  resided  at  Port  Kennedy  forty- 
six  years  ago. 

He  was  returning  from  Pottsville  in  a  boat,  which  stopped 
for  a  short  time  at  the  place,  and  he  availed  himself  of  the  op 
portunity  of  taking  a  view  of  the  property,  but  everything  was 
strange  around  him.  He  went  to  view  the  spring,  the  old  house 
in  which  he  lived,  the  waste  fields  and  other  objects  which  he 
left  there.  The  spring  still  remained,  but  the  site  of  it,  in  its 
native  beauty,  had  been  destroyed  by  buildings  erected  over  it. 
Instead  of  the  old  house  and  miserable  barn,  new  and  splendid 
buildings  had  been  erected  upon  it;  the  waste  fields  were  en 
closed,  and  the  whole  face  of  it  had  undergone  a  thorough 
change,  and  the  only  objects  that  he  could  see  to  remind  him 
of  the  days  of  his  residence  there  were  an  old  shellbark  hickory 
tree  (a  part  of  which  is  still  remaining)  (1850) ,  and  the  large 
limestone  rock  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  These,  he  said,  were 
all  he  could  recognize,  and  in  narrating  the  account  he  ob 
served  that  if  he  could  have  been  placed  there,  without  pre 
vious  knowledge  of  his  locality,  he  could  not  possibly  have 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  133 

known  where  he  was,  so  great  had  been  the  change.  In  relat 
ing  this  account  I  was  forcibly  reminded  of  Washington  Irv- 
ing's  humorous  tale  of  Rip  Van  Winkle  sleeping  twenty  years 
on  the  Catskill  Mountain,  and  awakening  and  finding  himself 
a  stranger  to  everything  transpiring  around  him. 


LETTER  XXIX 
THE  PROVOST  FARM 

N  THIS  communication  I  shall  first  proceed  to  give 
a  description  of  the  farm  on  which  the  provost 
guard  was  placed  during  the  Revolution,  and  the 
officers  having  charge  of  rt  were  quartered.  At  the 
time  the  property  containing  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  acres  was  owned  by  William  Smith,  first  Presi 
dent  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  then  occupied 
by  a  person,  as  a  tenant,  named  Henry  Force.  The  provost 
was  kept  in  an  old  log  barn  on  the  premises,  that  stood  as  a 
relic  of  that  period  until  1830;  it  was  then  demolished  and  a 
new  and  commodious  stone  barn  erected  near  the  site  of 
the  old  one.  This  place  having  within  the  last  twenty  years 
undergone  much  alteration,  it  will,  therefore,  claim  consider 
able  attention.  In  order  that  the  account  may  be  kept  in 
a  connected  form,  I  shall  now  refer  to  the  early  history  of 
the  place.  As  observed  in  my  last,  this  property  was  orig 
inally  owned  by  a  person  named  Eglington,  and  at  his  death, 
it  fell  to  his  daughter,  who  sold  it  to  Henry  Pawling,  the 
grandfather  of  Levi  Pawling,  mentioned  in  one  of  my  former 
letters.  While  in  his  possession  to  added  to  it  an  island  in  the 
river,  called  Catfish  island  (noted  on  account  of  a  large  but- 
tonwood  tree  growing  on  it  at  the  time,  cut  down  thirty 
years  since),  he  taking  up  and  patenting  another  called  Fat- 
land  Island,  about  a  half  mile  higher  up  the  river.  It  has 
since  that  time  had  many  owners,  numbers  of  them  I  shall 
not  refer  to,  as  they  cannot  particularly  interest  many 
readers.  I  shall,  therefore,  just  observe  that  from  time  of 
the  Proprietor  of  Pennsylvania  granting  it  to  his  daughter, 
up  to  the  year  1812,  it  had  passed  through  sixteen  different 
conveyances.  I  have  never  heard  anything  more  of  sufficient 
notice  occurring  here  during  the  time  of  the  encampment  to 
claim  any  further  observation.  It  has  suffered  in  common 
with  others  contiguous  to  it  it.  I  shall,  therefore,  pass  by  that 
period,  and  confine  myself  to  incidents  that  have  occurred 
since  my  recollection,  which  extends  back  to  the  commence- 
men  of  the  present  century.  It  was  then  I  first  remember 
being  upon  it.  I  was  then  in  the  fifth  year  of  my  age ;  it  was 
at  that  time  owned  by  Andrew  Porter,  the  father  of  David  E. 
Porter,  Ex-Governor  of  Pennsylvania,  and  in  the  occupancy 
of  Michael  Shur.  As  noted,  it  had  suffered  from  the  effects 


134  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

of  the  war,  and  having  changed  owners  and  tenants  so  often 
it  had  not  improved  much  either  in  quality  or  appearance 
at  that  period.  It  was  soon  after  sold  to  a  person  named 
Stephen  Kingston  from  Philadelphia,  who  held  it  about  four 
years. 

During  the  time  the  property  was  owned  by  Stephen 
Kingston,  he  made  considerable  alterations  upon  it,  and 
transformed  the  appearance  of  part  of  it,  but  made  very 
little  useful  or  durable  improvements;  although  enough  was 
expended  upon  it,  in  enclosing  three  sides  of  a  ten  acre  with 
a  stone  wall  of  solid  masonry,  four  and  a  half  feet  high  and 
eighteen  inches  thick,  and  erecting  an  ungainly  stone  edifice 
covering  much  ground  and  affording  little  room  to  have 
erected  suitable  buildings  of  all  kinds  necessary  for  the  ac 
commodation  of  such  a  farm.  There  was  also  expended  by 
him  in  making  pleasure  gardens  and  fish  ponds,  and  en 
deavoring  to  rear  tropical  fruit  and  numerous  other  things 
equally  useless,  to  have  closed  the  whole  estate  with  good 
and  substantial  fence.  How  much  further  he  would  have 
extended  these  things  is  uncertain,  his  avowed  object  being 
(as  it  might  seem)  to  effect  these  things  first,  and  then  im 
prove  the  land.  But  the  means  failed;  he  became  embar 
rassed,  the  place  was  sold,  and  then  the  work  ceased  to  be 
carried  on.  They  gradually  fell  into  decay;  and  at  this  time 
there  is  scarcely  anything  except  the  house,  which  has  un 
dergone  some  alterations,  left  on  the  premises,  to  remind  the 
observer  of  the  existence  of  these  things. 

Its  next  owner  was  George  Davis,  from  the  city  of  Phila 
delphia;  he  held  it  about  two  years.  It  subsequently  fell 
into  possession  and  ownership  of  Frederick  Weisel.  It  was 
disposed  of  to  Samuel  Richards  in  the  year  1811,  who  con 
tinued  to  reside  in  it  until  the  year  1824.  It  was  then  sold 
to  Thomas  J.  Walker,  who  removed  to  reside  upon  it  in  the 
spring  of  that  year.  While  held  by  Samuel  Richards,  he 
sold  off  the  southeastern  part  of  it,  about  thirty-two  acres, 
which  reduced  it  down  to  about  ninety-three  acres. 

During  the  time  it  was  held  by  the  persons  last  men 
tioned,  no  improvement  of  any  consequence  was  made  upon 
it.  The  land  grew  but  little  if  any  better  in  quality,  many  of 
the  enclosures  had  gone  to  decay,  and  that  part  that  was 
sold  by  Samuel  Richards  was  turned  out  as  a  useless  common, 
and  had  remained  so  for  a  number  of  years. 

The  death  of  Thomas  J.  Walker  occurred  about  five 
months  after  his  removal  to  the  place.  He  was  an  enter 
prising  man,  and  had  his  life  been  spared  a  few  years  longer, 
he  would  no  doubt  have  improved  the  property.  It  was  held 
by  his  executors  until  the  spring  of  1828,  when  it  was  dis 
posed  of  by  them  to  Isaac  Sharpless,  who  at  that  time  took 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  135 

up  his  residence  upon  it.  The  most  of  the  soil  was  good,  and 
all  it  wanted  was  proper  cultivation. 

The  period  had  now  arrived  when  this  place  was  to  as 
sume  a  different  appearance,  under  the  management  of  its 
then  thrifty,  industrious  and  enterprising  owner.  Inde 
pendent  of  its  natural  good  soil,  it  possessed  other  advantages ; 
it  abounded  in  limestone  of  a  superior  quality.  The  naviga 
tion  of  the  Schuylkill  had  been  fully  completed;  the  spirit 
of  improving  the  soil  by  the  application  of  lime  as  a  manure, 
or  rather  fertilizer  of  the  soil,  was  now  engaging  the  atten 
tion  of  farmers  in  various  sections  of  the  country,  particu 
larly  those  to  whom  the  navigation  of  the  river  opened  an 
easy  facility  of  obtaining  it  through  that  medium.  Hence 
extensive  trade  in  that  line  was  opened,  not  only  to  vari 
ous  parts  of  our  own  state,  both  up  and  down  the  river,  but 
also  in  various  parts  of  the  states  of  New  Jersey,  Delaware 
and  Maryland.  These  combined  advantages  being  improved 
by  the  owner  of  the  property,  it  soon  began  to  assume  a  very 
different  appearance. 

The  useless  stone  wall  was  taken  down,  and  the  materials 
used  for  constructing  a  large  stone  barn,  and  other  conven 
ient  and  necessary  buildings.  The  fences  were  all  renewed  by 
good  and  substantial  ones;  and  the  place  seen  at  the  time 
he  took  possession  of  it  as  the  scene  of  dilapidation  and  decay, 
now  wears  a  bright  prospect — a  monument  of  the  enterprise 
of  its  last  industrious  owner. 

While  owned  by  Isaac  Sharpless,  he  disposed  of  all  that 
portion  of  it  lying  on  the  southeast  side  of  a  public  road 
leading  from  Port  Kennedy  to  the  Valley  Forge,  except  a 
small  portion  reserved  for  limestone.  On  this  part  of  the 
farm,  an  extensive  business  in  the  manufacturing  of  lime  is 
carried  on  principally  by  Richard  C.  Walker  and  sons,  but 
not  to  so  great  an  extent  as  at  Port  Kennedy — the  business 
at  this  place  conducted  by  them  being  more  generally  to  parts 
of  Montgomery,  Chester  and  Delaware  counties,  and  hauled 
by  large  teams,  though  considerable  is  done  by  canal  and 
railroad.  On  this  portion  of  the  property  several  good 
dwellings  have  been  erected  since  it  came  into  their  possession, 
together  with  a  dwelling  house,  wheelwright  and  blacksmith 
shop,  erected  by  others,  there  being  about  one  hundred  in 
habitants  residing  upon  it. 

The  Reading  Railroad  passes  through  this  farm,  between 
the  original  mansion  and  the  river;  and  from  the  house 
can  be  enjoyed  an  uninterrupted  view  of  both  the  railroad 
and  the  river.  Here  at  ail  hours  of  the  day,  may  be  seen  and 
heard  the  numerous  trains  of  coal  and  other  cars,  continu 
ally  ascending  and  descending  upon  the  railroad,  conveying 
daily  thousands  of  tons  of  anthracite  coal,  from  the  extensive 
mines  in  Schuylkill  county,  to  Richmond  on  the  Delaware, 


136  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  and  other  productions  of  the  soil, 
and  articles  of  manufacture  and  merchandise.  In  addition 
to  these,  when  the  navigation  is  unobstructed  may  be  seen 
large  coal  boats,  passing  to  and  from  the  same  regions;  and 
others  laden  with  lumber  and  other  articles,  by  way  of  the 
Union  Canal,  from  various  parts  of  the  interior  of  our  own 
state.  I  have  often  seen  more  than  a  dozen  large  boats  of 
this  description  at  one  view  from  the  place,  thus  engaged. 

It  may  also  be  noticed  that  a  lumber  and  coal  yard  was 
commenced  on  this  property  by  Dr.  Jones  Davis,  about  the 
year  1832;  but  it  has  for  several  years  been  abandoned.  I 
have  now  in  this  and  my  last  letter,  given  a  general  account 
of  these  two  estates,  that  lay  waste  so  many  years,  and  have 
recently  undergone  so  much  improvement.  In  doing  so  I 
have  had  considerable  allusion  to  the  business  done  on  the 
Reading  Railroad  and  the  Schuylkill  Canal,  and  I  hope  I 
will  be  excused,  if  I  through  this  medium,  just  suggest  to 
the  people  of  Bucks  county,  particularly  those  in  the  vicinity 
of  New  Hope,  Doylestown,  and  other  places  immediately  on 
the  route,  the  advantages  that  would  accrue  to  them  if  a 
railroad  from  New  Hope  to  Norristown  could  be  constructed. 
I  merely  mention  them;  at  present  I  shall  make  no  further 
comments  on  them;  but  resume  my  general  subject. 

THE  DAVID  STEPHENS  FARMS 

The  property  belonging  to  David  Stephens  is  now  the  only 
one  that  remains  to  be  described  that  was  embraced  in  the 
lines  of  the  encampment.  It  consisted  of  two  farms,  extend 
ing  from  the  last  described  one  unto  the  Valley  Forge  tract, 
and  lying  upon  the  river  Schuylkill. 

The  lower  one,  at  the  time  of  the  war,  was  occupied  by 
a  person  named  Zachary  Davis;  and  at  his  house  General 
Huntingdon  had  his  quarters.  This  farm,  which  was  large 
and  valuable,  after  the  death  of  David  Stephens,  which  I 
think  was  about  the  year  1786,  fell  to  his  son,  Maurice 
Stephens,  more  generally  known  by  the  name  of  Esquire 
Stephens,  on  account  of  his  holding  the  commission  of  a  jus 
tice  of  the  peace  for  more  than  thirty-five  years.  He  lived 
and  died  unmarried,  and  not  being  very  energetic,  he  did 
not  improve  his  farm  to  any  great  extent,  except  that  he 
erected  a  large  and  commodious  barn  and  house  upon  it. 
He  became  involved,  and  spent  the  great  part  of  it  during 
his  life  time;  he  died  in  the  fall  of  1827.  For  some  years 
before  his  death  he  was  blind,  and  his  faculties  were  im 
paired. 

The  property,  about  two  years  previous  to  his  death,  was 
sold  to  William  Henry,  of  the  county  of  Philadelphia,  who 
now  resides  upon  it,  having  removed  there  shortly  after  pur 
chasing  it.  The  property  has  been  much  improved  since  it  has 
come  into  his  possession;  part  of  it  that  had  laid  a  common 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  137 

since  the  Revolution,  and  probably  longer,  has  been  enclosed, 
and  now  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation;  additional 
buildings  have  been  erected  upon  it,  and  other  land  lying  con 
tiguous  to  it  has  been  purchased  by  him,  so  that  it  now  stands 
conspicuous  as  one  of  the  largest  and  most  highly  cultivated 
farms  in  that  portion  of  the  ground  of  the  encampment.  Wil 
liam  Henry  is  at  present  one  of  the  representatives  in  the 
legislature  of  Pennsylvania. 

On  this  property  there  was  a  number  of  huts  erected, 
though  I  do  not  know  of  any  fortifications  or  breastworks 
being  thrown  up  on  it.  It  was  in  a  hut  on  this  property, 
that  Baron  Steuben  resided  during  a  part  of  the  time  of 
the  encampment,  being  engaged  in  teaching  the  soldiers  mili 
tary  tactics;  and  it  was  upon  it  that  the  soldiery  were  ex 
ercised  by  him  on  these  occasions.  I  have  heard  my  father 
relate  the  awkward  blunders  and  confusion  that  often  oc 
curred  at  such  times,  on  account  of  the  Baron  being  unable 
to  speak  the  English  language,  and  the  soldiers  not  under 
standing  his  orders  and  instructions  given  in  German. 

The  next  farm  above  was  where  David  Stephens  resided. 
Varnum  was  quartered  upon  this  part  of  the  farm;  and 
near  the  mansion  the  fort  was  erected  that  I  have  noticed 
in  a  former  number,  upon  an  eminence  commanding  a  view 
of  both  sides  of  the  river.  There  are  very  few  traces  of  it 
left  remaining;  but  its  site  can  be  pointed  out  by  many  per 
sons,  as  well  as  myself,  who  remember  to  have  seen  it  before 
it  was  destroyed.  A  beautiful  prospect  of  the  surrounding 
country  can  be  enjoyed  by  this  eminence.  This  part  of  the 
property  since  his  death  was  owned  by  his  son,  Abijah 
Stephens.  He  made  during  his  life  time  many  improvements 
upon  it,  by  the  addition  of  suitable  and  commodious  build 
ings,  and  also  in  the  improvement  of  the  soil.  The  mansion 
in  which  Varnum  dwelt  is  standing.  Abijah  Stephens  died  in 
the  fall  of  1825,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  The  property  is 
now  owned  by  his  son,  William  Stephens,  who  resides  upon  it. 

The  residue  of  the  farm  of  David  Stephens,  consisting 
of  more  than  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  fell  into  posses 
sion  of  his  only  daughter,  Eleanor  Richardson;  she  died 
about  1820.  The  most  of  it  now  belongs  to  her  children, 
though  some  of  it  had  passed  into  other  hands  in  her  life 
time,  and  some  since  her  death.  On  part  of  this  property 
many  of  the  remains  of  the  encampment  still  (1850)  remain 
visible,  such  as  fortifications,  breastworks  (particularly  the 
fort  used  for  the  magazine) ,  and  the  traces  of  the  foundations 
of  the  huts.  It  was  opposite  the  upper  end  of  this  property, 
on  the  river,  that  Sullivan's  bridge  was  erected;  next  above 
it  on  the  river,  were  the  Headquarters  of  General  Washing 
ton. 

I  have  now  finished  the  description  of  all  the  property 
embraced  in  the  lines  of  the  encampment;  and  a  few  more 
communications  will  finish  this  prolonged  account. 


LETTER    XXX 
MINERALS 

HE  DISCOVERY  of  large  quantities  of  copper  on 
some  of  the  property  I  have  been  describing,  and, 
also  upon  lands  lying  contiguous  to  the  Valley 
Forge  and  Pickering,  a  stream  that  empties  into 
the  Schuylkill  about  three  miles  above  Valley 
Forge,  having  recently  attracted  much  attention,  and  en 
hanced  the  value  of  property,  particularly  that  portion  of  it 
last  noticed.  I  shall  proceed  in  this  communication  to  give 
some  account  concerning  it. 

In  some  former  letters,  I  observed,  concerning  that  portion 
of  country,  that  recent  discoveries  and  establishment  of  some 
manufactories  on  a  small  scale,  had  made  some  innovations 
upon  the  regular  habits  of  the  inhabitants  resident  upon  it. 
Since  the  geological  survey  of  Pennsylvania,  discoveries  have 
been  made  of  the  existence  of  copper  in  its  natural  state,  in 
many  place  in  the  vicinity  of  Valley  Forge,  and  the  attention 
of  capitalists  has  recently  been  turned  towards  mining  opera 
tions  in  that  line.  For  this  purpose  two  companies  have  been 
organized,  and  large  tracts  or  portions  of  land  lying  on  both 
sides  of  the  Schuylkill,  in  the  counties  of  Chester  and  Mont 
gomery,  have  been  secured  by  them,  either  by  purchase  or 
lease  for  a  number  of  years,  in  order  to  carry  on  the  business. 
The  land  supposed  to  contain  the  article,  lying  between  the 
Valley  Forge  and  Pickering  Creek,  have  been  purchased  by  a 
company  from  Philadelphia,  called  Remington  &  Co.  The  other 
company,  I  have  understood,  are  Englishmen  from  Cornwall 
in  England,  called  Pedrick  &  Co.,  and  that  they  have  leased 
portions  of  land  in  Montgomery  county,  on  both  sides  of  the 
river,  and  that  the  operations  are  now  being  carried  on  by 
them  with  every  prospect  of  success. 

I  shall  now  refer  to  some  remarks,  in  a  recent  communica 
tion,  concerning  a  tract  of  land,  a  part  of  which  is  now  owned 
by  Edwin  or  Samuel  Moore,  that  was  purchased  for  a  similar 
purpose  near  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago.  Copper,  at 
that  time,  was  know  to  exist  on  that  land,  and  it  was  then  pur 
chased  by  a  company,  and  operations  in  that  line  commenced, 
not  so  much  for  the  sake  of  the  copper  as  the  hope  that  they 
would  also  find,  in  connection  with  it,  silver  and  gold  in  abund 
ance.  For  this  purpose  numerous  pits  were  dug  in  various 
places  upon  the  northeastern  part  of  it ;  and  I  have  understood 
that  enough  of  copper  was  obtained  for  the  purpose  of  defray 
ing  the  expenses  of  digging,  and  to  enable  the  company  to  pay 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  139 

for  the  land.  But  at  that  early  period  the  people  had  not  the 
advantages  which  we  now  possess ;  mechanic  arts  had  made 
but  little  progress,  and  for  want  of  the  means  of  pumping 
the  water  by  hydraulic  apparatus,  they  had,  in  all  cases,  after 
sinking  the  pit  to  nearly  a  uniform  depth,  encountered  springs 
of  water  so  abundant  as  to  arrest  their  progress  and  put  an 
end  to  their  labors.  In  process  of  time,  all  further  efforts  to 
obtain  not  only  gold  and  silver,  but  even  copper,  were  entirely 
abandoned,  and  the  land  lay  uncultivated  and  unimproved  for 
many  years,  until  it  fell  into  possession  of  my  grandfather  and 
Thomas  Waters.  A  part  of  it  held  by  my  grandfather  is  still 
in  possession  of  a  part  of  the  family.  The  residue,  since  his 
death,  and  that  portion  owned  by  Thomas  Waters,  has  all  of 
it  passed,  within  the  last  fifty  years,  into  the  ownership  of 
Richard  Moore,  the  father  of  the  present  owners  of  it.  I  may 
just  observe  that  while  a  part  of  this  property  was  owned  by 
the  late  Stephen  Stephens,  a  quarry  of  gypsum  was  supposed 
to  to  be  discovered  upon  it;  but  if  so,  it  has  never  amounted 
to  anything  further  than  a  supposed  discovery.  A  portion  of 
this  tract  was  taken  by  Pedrick  &  Co.,  for  the  purpose  of  min 
ing  for  copper.  I  may  here  observe  that  about  the  time  the 
mining  was  in  operation,  about  the  commencement  of  the  last 
century,  that  similar  operations  were  commenced  on  the  prop 
erty  of  my  great-grandfather,  Stephen  Evans,  and  that  the 
remains  of  numerous  pits  are  still  visible,  lying  on  the  Gulf 
road,  on  the  farm  of  the  late  Stephen  Stephens,  in  Chester 
county.  Tradition  says,  that  copper  was  found  there  to  some 
extent,  but  the  same  cause  that  frustrated  their  design  on  the 
mine  tract,  operated  against  them  at  that  place,  and  the  work 
was  abandoned.  I  have  no  doubt  that  copper  does  exist  in  that 
particular  section,  from  the  fact  that  in  digging  wells  about 
the  depth  of  thirty  feet,  water  is  generally  obtained,  and  it 
has  been  found  in  some  instances,  to  taste  strongly  of  copper, 
and  when  taken  up  in  a  tin  or  earthen  vessel  and  let  to  stand 
for  some  time,  a  thick  sediment,  resembling  a  solution  of  cop 
peras,  is  found  settled  in  the  bottom  of  the  vessel. 

Another  peculiarity  of  this  tract  that  I  have  been  describ 
ing,  is  the  kind  of  stone  found  on  and  near  it  surface.  It  is 
of  that  kind  commonly  called  the  honey-comb,  on  account  of  its 
light  porous  nature  and  its  supposed  resemblance  to  the  honey 
comb  of  the  bee.  It  abounds  on  what  is  called  the  mine  tract, 
generally  lying  on  the  surface  or  in  detached  rocks  fast  in  the 
ground,  many  of  them  crystalized,  with  crystals  of  various 
sizes,  the  most  of  them  of  a  clear  white  color,  with  four  regu 
lar  sides,  and  terminating  in  a  point  so  sharp  and  hard  that 
glass  has  sometimes  been  cut  with  them.  Many  of  these  crys 
tals  lie  loose  on  the  ground,  but  the  great  body  of  them  are 
found  adhering  to  the  honey-comb  stone.  Many  buildings  have 
buildings  have  been  erected  in  the  neighborhood  with  this 


140  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

kind  of  stone;  they  are  very  light,  and  on  this  account,  they 
are  very  useful,  as  they  do  not  require  much  bodily  strength 
to  raise  them  to  the  top  of  the  building.  Although  very  light 
and  porous,  yet  they  form  a  solid  substantial  wall  and  are  im 
pervious  to  water.  Many  other  varieties  of  minerals  are  found 
in  that  district;  so  much  so  that  they  have  attracted  the  at 
tention  of  mineralogists,  and  numerous  specimens  of  them 
have  been  obtained  to  place  in  cabinets  of  different  persons. 
I  have  collected  many  of  them  and  forwarded  them  to  different 
persons.  Some  of  them  I  think  may  be  found  in  the  extensive 
mineral  cabinet  of  my  friend,  John  Watson,  of  Greenville, 
Buckingham  township,  Bucks  county. 

I  have  never  heard  of  any  iron  being  found  in  any  part  of 
the  country  immediately  in  the  vicinity  of  Valley  Forge;  and 
from  the  circumstance  that  very  little  attraction  of  the  needle 
has  ever  been  noticed  on  any  part  of  the  property  that  I  have 
described  (except  in  the  immediate  locality  of  the  old  Valley 
Forge  and  other  iron  works),  and  no  furnaces  ever  having 
been  erected  there,  I  conclude  that  it  does  not  exist  in  that  sec 
tion.  It  has  recently  been  found  in  abundance  in  the  neigh 
borhood  of  Kimberton,  in  Pikeland  township,  in  Vincent  and 
other  places  in  Chester  county;  near  the  Gulf,  and  in  Ply 
mouth  and  Whitemarsh  townships,  in  Montgomery  county; 
and  a  large  profitable  business  is  carried  on  at  these  places,  but 
as  they  do  not  properly  belong  to  my  subject,  I  shall  make  no 
further  observations  upon  them.  While  the  manufacture  of 
iron  was  carried  on  at  Valley  Forge,  the  pigs  were  obtained 
from  various  parts  of  Berks  and  Chester  counties,  where  the 
Potts  family  held  several  valuable  furnaces. 

The  great  source  of  mineral  wealth  in  that  portion  of  coun 
try  that  has  been  described,  lying  on  the  eastern  side  of  the 
Schuylkill  and  the  Valley  Creek,  consists  in  immense  bodies  of 
limestone,  lying  on  the  Schuylkill  and  in  the  Great  Valley. 
These,  in  many  places,  have  been,  particularly  within  the  last 
thirty  years,  improved  to  great  advantage  by  the  owners  of 
them,  and  have  proved  a  twofold  source  of  profit,  not  only  to 
them,  but  to  all  portions  of  the  country  where  agriculture  has 
been  benefited  by  the  application  of  lime  as  a  manure,  thus 
enriching  both  the  vender  and  the  purchaser. 

Having  already  said  much  on  that  subject  in  some  former 
numbers,  I  shall  dismiss  the  subject  by  observing  that  to  see 
the  various  operations  in  this  line  of  business,  would  amply 
repay  the  man  of  leisure  to  visit  the  place.  In  addition  to  the 
limestone,  building  stone  of  a  valuable  quality  abounds  on  al 
most  all  of  this  property,  particularly  those  lying  on  the  river. 
Since  the  property  known  as  Headquarters  has  been  owned  by 
James  Jones,  free  stone  of  an  excellent  quality  has  been  found 
upon  it,  and  large  quantities  of  the  article  have  been  sent  by 
boats  to  Philadelphia  and  other  places  for  buildings  of  differ- 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  141 

ent  kinds.  On  a  part  of  the  property  formerly  belonging  to 
David  Stephens  (now  Isaac  Richardson)  clay  for  the  manu 
facture  of  crucible  for  the  use  of  brass  foundries  has  been  ob 
tained,  but  never  to  any  great  extend. 

As  noticed  in  the  commencement  of  this  letter,  large  quan 
tities  of  copper  have  been  discovered  in  that  section  of  country 
lying  on  the  western  side  of  the  Valley  Creek,  in  Chester 
county.  On  account  of  this  discovery,  Remington  &  Co.  have 
purchased  large  portions  of  land  in  this  district;  and  I  have 
understood,  on  some  of  the  property  purchased  by  them,  rich 
veins,  yielding  at  the  rate  of  seventy  per  cent,  have  been  found 
within  fifteen  feet  of  the  surface,  and  that  successful  operations 
in  that  line  are  now  being  conducted.  I  have  never  yet  visited 
them  to  be  able  to  convey  correct  information  from  actual  ob 
servation  and  enquiry.  I,  therefore,  make  this  statement  from 
such  information  as  I  have  received  from  others  in  whose 
reports  I  could  rely.  I  have  seen  some  specimens  of  this  mine, 
but  have  never  had  any  in  my  possession.  I  have  likewise  un 
derstood  that  the  operations  of  mining,  in  the  manner  that 
they  are  conducted,  are  objects  worthy  of  a  visit,  and  intend, 
as  soon  as  possible,  if  nothing  intervenes  to  prevent,  to  en 
deavor  to  accomplish  it.  The  greatest  body  and  most  profit 
able  vein  of  copper,  I  am  informed,  has  been  found  on  a  farm 
in  Schuylkill  township,  Chester  county,  about  two  miles  north 
west  of  Valley  Forge.  How  far  similar  discoveries  in  other 
places  have  been  made,  I  have  not  learned;  but  one  thing  is 
certain,  that  these  discoveries  had  a  tendency  to  enhance  the 
value  of  the  land,  and  the  company  last  alluded  to  have,  within 
the  present  year,  purchased,  at  an  advanced  price,  all  the  land 
they  could  obtain  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  these  dis 
coveries,  and  it  is  sincerely  to  be  hoped  that  their  prospect 
may  be  fully  realized  and  ultimately  crowned  with  success. 

On  the  western  side  ofthe  Schuylkill,  near  the  lead  mines 
of  Perkiomen,  similar  operations  are  now  in  progression.  These 
I  believe  are  carried  on  by  Pedrick  &  Co.,  on  some  of  the  prop 
erty  of  the  Wetherill  family,  but  to  what  extent  or  with  what 
prospect  of  success  I  have  not  understood,  I  only  state  this 
from  report. 

Whether  or  not  gold  will  ever  be  discovered,  I  cannot  tell, 
neither  is  it  a  matter  of  great  moment  to  any  whether  it  ever  is 
found,  as  the  pursuit  of  it  would  interfere  with  the  habits  of 
industry.  It  is  but  a  few  years  since  this  precious  metal  was 
supposed  to  have  been  found,  but  it  proved  a  failure.  A  black 
man  has  purchased  a  barren  and  broken  spot  of  land  for  the 
purpose  of  putting  up  a  house  upon  it.  In  digging  the  cellar, 
he  found  among  the  earth,  particles  resembling  brass  filings, 
and  also  found  similar  ones  amongst  the  sand  at  the  bottom  of 
a  small  stream  of  water  that  passed  through  it.  These  he 
and  some  other  persons  supposed,  when  first  discovered,  to  be 


142  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

gold  dust;  and  for  a  short  time  it  produced  considerable  ex 
citement;  and  large  offers  were  made  for  his  lot,  but  he  de 
clined  selling ;  but  it  was  soon  found  upon  strict  investigation 
that  it  turned  out  to  be  nothing  more  than  mica,  and  thus 
ended  the  discovery  of  gold  in  that  quarter.  The  discovery 
of  the  copper  is  of  more  recent  date. 

In  two  more  communications  I  expect  to  finish  these  narra 
tives,  and  these  will  be  principally  confined  to  relating  some 
circumstances  that  have  taken  place  in  connection  with  the 
encampment  ground,  the  most  of  which  have  come  under  my 
immediate  notice,  and  taken  place  since  my  recollection.  These 
things  will  claim  the  attention  of  my  next  letter ;  and  as  I  com 
menced  with  an  introductory,  I  expect  to  conclude  with  a  vale 
dictory. 


LETTER   XXXI 
GENERAL  REVIEW 

|S  I  contemplate  concluding  these  narratives  in  my 
next  letter,  I  shall  devote  the  most  of  the  present 
one  to  taking  a  general  review  of  the  old  encamp 
ment  ground,  and  endeavor  to  give  some  further 
information  concerning  it,  in  addition  to  that  al 
ready  furnished,  believing  this  to  be  the  better  way  of  con 
veying  it  to  the  public.  In  some  of  my  former  letters,  I  no 
ticed  that  when  the  army  took  possession  of  the  place  prin 
cipally  occupied  as  the  encampment  ground,  it  was  mostly  a 
dense  forest,  heavily  set  with  timber,  consisting  generally  of 
hickory,  various  kinds  of  oak,  and  other  timber  common  to 
the  native  forests  of  that  section  of  country.  Nearly  all  the 
land  lying  between  the  front  and  rear  lines,  and  the  north 
eastern  and  southwestern  limits  of  the  lines  of  the  encamp 
ment  was  thus  circumstanced.  The  farms  of  David  Stephens, 
and  the  two  next  below  him  on  the  river,  were  the  only  prop 
erties  within  these  prescribed  lines  that  had  any  buildings 
upon  them  at  the  time.  There  was  also  at  the  time  a  portion 
of  cleared  land,  about  seventy  acres,  belonging  to  my  grand 
father,  within  these  limits,  since  disposed  of  to  John  Havard, 
that  was  cultivated,  but  there  were  no  buildings  upon  it. 

NEW  TIMBER  GROWTH 

It  is  hardly  necessary  again  to  say  that  the  timber  was  all 
destroyed  by  the  army.  After  the  departure  of  the  army,  as 
noticed  in  former  numbers,  the  greater  part  of  the  land  that 
had  been  previously  cleared  and  cultivated,  was  again  enclosed 
for  agricultural  purposes,  but  much  the  greater  portion  of 
what  had  been  timber  land,  was  left  to  lie  without  enclosure 
for  many  years,  some  of  it  even  to  the  present  time.  In  the 
course  of  a  short  time,  the  timber  commenced  growing  upon 
it  with  great  rapidity,  being  much  more  heavily  set  with 
young  and  thrifty  sprouts,  than  it  had  been  before  it  was  de 
stroyed.  The  soil  being  naturally  good,  it  was  in  summer  well 
set  with  grass,  which  afforded  abundant  pasturage  for  the 
numerous  herds  of  cattle,  sheep,  and  sometimes  horses,  that 
were  turned  upon  it  by  the  inhabitants  generally  to  graze  at 
that  time,  when  large  portions  of  land  could  only  with  great 
difficulty  be  fenced  for  farming.  It  also  remained  an  accom 
modation  to  numbers  for  many  years  after,  as  I  experiment 
ally  know.  While  penning  these  lines  they  recall  to  my  mind. 


144  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

the  scenes  of  my  youth  and  my  childhood,  and  the  many  happy 
hours  that  were  then  spent,  and  that  I  have  passed  in  them 
when  alone,  barefooted,  and  rudel  yclad  in  native  homespun. 
I  have  been  engaged  in  hunting  cows  and  horses  upon  these 
grounds,  where  these  remains  of  the  sufferings  of  the  people 
were  then  visible,  and  could  be  viewed  without  fear  or  danger ; 
for  peace  with  her  olive  branch,  had  driven  out  the  demon  of 
war  with  all  his  horrors;  the  sword  had  been  exchanged  for 
the  ploughshare,  and  the  spear  for  the  pruning  hook;  and 
often  upon  these  occasions  have  I  been  accompanied  with  an 
intimate  acquaintance  of  mine  from  the  city  of  Philadelphia, 
about  a  year  younger  than  myself,  who  used  sometimes  to 
spend  his  summer  vacations  in  our  family,  and  who,  though 
young  at  the  time,  used  to  take  great  interest  in  viewing  these 
things,  and  listening  to  the  relations  that  were  given  by  my 
father  and  mother,  of  that  period.  In  our  rambles  on  these 
occasions,  in  examining  the  remains  of  the  encampment  and 
searching  for  relics  of  that  period  to  more  fully  remind  us 
of  that  time,  and  to  preserve  them  as  mementos  of  it.  The  re 
membrance  of  these  things  carries  me  back  in  retrospection 
to  that  period,  and  leads  me  involuntarily  to  exclaim,  Oh, 
happy  days,  now  past  and  gone  forever,  no  more  to  be  recalled 
in  this  state  of  being — days  of  my  youth,  when  perplexing 
cares  and  disquietude  came  not  near  my  dwelling,  when  earth's 
engrossing  cares  and  entanglements  were  strangers,  and  the 
ingratitude  of  man  to  his  fellow-man  was  unknown,  and  when 
I  had  not  fully  and  experimentally  realized  the  truth  of  the 
language  of  the  poet : 

"What  is  friendship  but  a  name, 

A  charm  that  lulls  to  sleep, 
A  shade  that  follows  wealth  and  fame 

But  leaves  the  wretched  weep." 

But  why  indulge  these  morbid  feelings? — enough  of  these 
reflections.  Disappointments,  distress,  and  tribulations  of  va 
rious  kinds,  are  the  common  lot  of  mankind,  and  ever  will  re 
main  to  be.  But  where  is  the  friend  of  my  youth,  who  used 
to  ramble  with  me  over  these  grounds?  Death  has  long  since 
called  him  hence,  more  than  twenty  years  since  he  paid  the  last 
debt  of  nature.  I  mention  not  his  name.  He  was  a  youth  of 
bright  talents,  improved  by  education,  and  flattering  prospects 
in  the  world ;  and  as  he  grew  up  to  manhood,  was  the  life  and 
source  of  entertainment  among  his  friends  and  acquaintance; 
his  company  was  sought  after  and  courted  in  the  fashionable 
world,  on  account  of  his  wealth  and  accomplishments;  but 
alas !  having  nothing  beyond  these  to  rely  upon,  he  became  the 
victim  of  intemperance,  and  while  young  in  years,  he  sank 
into  an  inebriate's  grave. 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  145 

But  to  resume  the  subject.  The  growth  of  the  timber  was 
very  rapid,  and  none  of  the  land  that  was  cleared  at  that  time 
was  cultivated  for  agricultural  purposes,  woodland  being  con 
sidered  of  greater  value,  and  a  sparse  population,  it  was  suf 
fered  to  grow  up.  I  first  remember  traversing  this  ground, 
in  the  fall  of  the  fifth  year  of  my  age,  in  company  with  my  two 
older  brothers,  to  gather  chestnuts.  This  was  about  twenty- 
two  years  after  the  timber  had  been  destroyed.  The  chestnut 
and  hickory  trees  had  grown  sufficiently  large  to  produce 
an  abundance  of  nuts;  and  that  with  other  timber  growing 
upon  it,  was  then  being  cut  for  fuel  and  rail  timber.  It  also 
abounded  with  native  grapes,  and  large  quantities  were  an 
nually  gathered  from  what  was  called  the  camp.  It  used  to  be 
a  common  thing  for  parties  of  both  sexes  to  be  formed  to  go 
hunting  them.  On  these  occasions  it  used  to  be  customary 
for  the  men  and  boys  to  climb  the  small  trees  and  saplings, 
and  bend  them  down,  and  the  company  then  unite  in  gathering 
the  grapes.  But  this  employment  has  now  ceased ;  the  cupidity 
of  man  has  now  leveled  the  greater  part  of  this  extensive 
forest,  and  it  is  now  enclosed  and  raising  agricultural  prod 
ucts. 

While  on  the  subject,  I  may  mention  one  of  these  freaks 
of  nature,  or  changes  in  kinds  of  timber  which  sometimes 
takes  place  upon  a  second  growth;  this  is  evident  on  this 
ground.  I  have  understood  that  previous  to  the  Revolution, 
very  little  chestnut  timber  grew  on  that  part  of  the  ground 
cleared  off  by  the  army,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Valley 
Creek.  Since  that  time  large  portions  of  chestnut  and  other 
timber  not  then  growing  upon  it,  has  since  grown  there,  while 
the  native  timber  previous  to  that  time,  has  been  comparatively 
small.  This  change  in  the  growth  of  the  timber  was  noticed 
by  the  late  Judge  Peters,  of  the  county  of  Philadelphia;  he 
published  an  account  of  it  in  the  Archives  of  Useful  Knowl 
edge.  He  was  encamped  there  during  the  time  of  its  de 
struction,  and  had  seen  it  previous;  upon  visiting  it  some 
time  after  he  was  forcibly  struck  with  the  changes  of  the 
timber  that  was  then  growing  upon  it. 

PILGRIMAGES  AND  GATHERINGS 

The  ground  occupied  by  the  army  encamped  there,  has 
always  been  an  object  of  attraction,  and,  as  such,  has  often 
been  visited  by  various  persons.  Many  a  venerable  patriot, 
who  composed  a  part  of  that  Spartan  Band  encamped  there, 
has  in  his  old  days  travelled  miles  to  again  behold  it,  and 
to  review  the  scenes  of  that  suffering  period.  I  have  seen 
some  of  them  thus  engaged  in  visiting  the  place,  and  marked 
the  emotion  visible  in  their  venerable  countenances,  and  seen 
the  tears  trickle  down  their  aged  and  withered  cheeks,  when 


146  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

on  the  verge  of  the  grave,  they  have  looked  upon  it,  and  these 
things  have  again  been  called  to  their  remembrance;  and  re 
marked  the  joy  that  was  also  manifest  when  contrasting  the 
happy  and  prosperous  situation,  not  only  of  that  portion  of 
the  country,  but  the  nation  at  large,  with  the  gloomy  state  of 
things  they  had  there  witnessed.  These  have  in  all  probability 
all  gone  down  to  the  grave. 

In  order  that  the  recollections  of  that  period  may  not  be 
forgotten,  associations  of  various  kinds  have  been  held  upon 
the  ground;  such  as  military  parades,  celebrations  and  poli 
tical  meetings,  the  most  of  the  latter  during  several  presi 
dential  campaigns  within  the  last  twenty-five  years.  I  can 
say  but  little  concerning  any  of  these  meetings — nothing 
from  actual  observation,  though  the  most  of  them  have  oc 
curred  since  my  time;  but  having  never  been  in  the  practice 
of  attending  any  meetings,  either  political  or  military  (except 
to  exercise  my  right  of  suffrage  for  civil  officers),  I  shall  say 
but  little  concerning  them.  The  political  meetings  were  al 
ways  of  a  party  kind ;  and  on  such  times  care  was  taken  as  far 
as  practicable,  to  collect  surviving  officers  and  soldiers  of  the 
Revolution  to  attend.  The  military  parades  were  generally 
volunteer  companies,  who  met  to  drill  on  what  is  called  the 
old  ground.  On  one  occasion  of  this  kind,  when  a  troop  of 
cavalry  that  was  forming  in  Chester  county  met  upon  the 
ground,  a  quarrel  ensued  between  the  captain  of  the  company 
and  a  Polish  exile  named  La  Reuf ,  who  was  employed  to  teach 
them  cavalry  tactics.  It  proved  nearly  fatal  to  the  latter. 
Fifty-three  years  have  elapsed,  it  was  before  my  recollection ; 
but  I  have  often  heard  the  story  related  by  some  who  had  seen 
the  encounter.  The  captain  of  that  company,  who  has  since 
filled  very  important  stations  in  civil  government,  and  been  a 
candidate  for  other  high  offices,  is  still  living,  being  over 
eighty  years  of  age.  Another  individual  that  then  belonged  to 
it,  near  the  same  age,  and  living  near  him,  is  the  only  other 
surviving  person  present  on  the  occasion. 

VISIT  OF  LAFAYETTE 

When  Lafayette,  as  the  nation's  guest,  in  the  years  of 
1824  and  1825,  was  in  this  country,  preparations  were  made 
to  induce  him  to  visit  the  Valley  Forge,  intending,  if  it  could  be 
effected,  to  welcome  him  by  having  a  large  and  enthusiastic 
meeting  upon  his  arrival.  It  is  unnecessary  to  say  much  con 
cerning  his  visit  to  this  country,  as  it  is  well  remembered  by 
many  of  my  readers — the  flattering  reception  he  met  with  in 
all  his  journey,  and  the  universal  respect  paid  to  him  on  the 
occasion  is  not  forgotten,  as  it  was  then  the  general  topic  of 
conversation,  and  has  since  been  so  often  repeated  that  but 
few  persons  are  now  to  be  found  of  sufficient  age  and  observa- 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  147 

tion,  but  what  are  conversant  with  the  circumstances  of  his 
visit  to  this  country.  At  this  time  there  was  residing  in  that 
section  of  country,  several  persons  then  advanced  in  years, 
who  had  been  acquainted  with  him  during  his  abode  there 
at  the  time  of  the  encampment,  who  felt  desirous  of  seeing 
him.  Among  this  number  were  my  mother  and  her  sister, 
the  late  Mary  Rossiter,  about  two  years  younger.  They  had 
been  intimately  acquainted  with  him  at  the  time,  he  having 
frequently  visited  DeKalb  at  their  father's  house,  mingling 
in  social  converse  with  the  family  on  these  occasions;  for  in 
private  life  or  when  released  from  duty  for  a  short  time, 
he  was  of  a  sociable  and  very  agreeable  disposition,  and 
highly  relished  the  opportunity  thus  afforded  him  of  min 
gling  in  family  circles.  This  gave  them  some  knowledge  of 
his  general  character  and  habits,  at  least  as  they  were  in 
early  life.  On  this  account  they  wished  to  see  him,  if  they 
could  have  met  him  as  in  former  times,  in  their  social  family 
circle;  and  when  conversing  upon  the  subject,  they  observed 
to  one  another,  after  some  remarks  upon  the  attention  and 
applause  everywhere  bestowed  upon  him,  that  they  were  very 
certain  that  it  would  afford  him  more  satisfaction  to  spend  a 
few  hours  in  social  conversation,  on  the  events  of  the  Revolu 
tion,  the  scenes  of  the  encampment,  and  of  Baron  DeKalb, 
and  other  officers  that  used  to  be  in  company  together  at  their 
father's  during  that  period,  than  to  be  hurried  from  place  to 
place,  to  gratify  public  curiosity,  to  attend  public  meetings, 
and  receive  the  plaudits  of  the  multitude. 

In  order  to  ascertain  his  views  on  the  subject  of  a  visit  to 
the  place,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  visit  him  on  the  sub 
ject,  and  invite  him  to  visit  the  spot,  once  the  scene  of  suffer 
ing  to  him  and  his  companions  in  arms.  One  of  the  number, 
the  late  George  B.  Loundes,  who,  at  the  time,  resided  at  Head 
quarters,  had  an  interview  with  him  at  West  Chester,  and  spent 
about  an  hour  with  him  in  private  company.  Lafayette  in 
quired  concerning  the  place,  the  changes  it  had  passed  through, 
its  present  state,  the  old  encampment  ground,  and  for  many  of 
the  families  residing  there  at  the  time  with  whom  he  had  been 
acquainted ;  and,  upon  finding  that  there  were  some  of  them 
still  remaining  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  place,  though  like 
himself,  advanced  in  years,  he  desired  his  love  affectionately 
to  them  all,  and  regretted  that  he  could  not  have  the  oppor 
tunity  of  visiting  them;  and  also,  to  inform  his  once  young 
now  old  friends,  that  it  would  afford  him  inexpressible  satis 
faction,  if  he  could  be  permitted  to  visit  them,  at  their  respec 
tive  habitations,  mingle  with  them  in  social  converse  as  in  by 
gone  days,  and  spend  a  short  portion  of  time  with  them  in  re 
tirement  from  the  pomp  and  ceremony  that  surrounded  him, 
and  visit  the  old  encampment  ground,  the  famed  scene  of  suf 
fering  and  distress  that  was  indelibly  imprinted  on  his  mem- 


148  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

ory ;  and  that  it  would  not  only  be  his  desire  to  do  so,  but,  if  it 
could  be  accomplished  in  this  manner,  he  would  avail  himself 
of  the  opportunity.  The  opportunity  was  not  afforded  him, 
and  he  could  not  comply. 

The  time  of  his  departure  to  his  native  land  was  then  near 
at  hand,  and  he  therefore  declined  a  visit  to  the  place,  much 
to  the  regret  of  many  who  desired  to  see  him.  For  the  same 
reasons  he  declined  a  visit  to  the  Honorable  Isaac  Wayne,  at 
his  resident  in  Easttown  township,  Chester  county,  at  the  man 
sion  occupied  by  his  father,  the  late  General  Anthony  Wayne. 
In  a  former  letter,  I  mentioned  that  I  might  give  some  further 
notice  concerning  this  place.  It  is  a  large  and  commodious 
house,  that  has  been  in  possession  of  the  family  for  more  than 
a  hundred  years ;  an  elegant  engraving  of  it,  and  also  a  very 
correct  one,  may  be  seen  in  Sherman  Day's  historical  re 
searches  of  Pennsylvania,  to  which  my  readers  are  referred. 
The  present  occupant  and  owner,  the  only  son  of  the  General, 
and  the  last  of  the  name  of  that  branch  of  the  family,  is  more 
than  eighty  years  of  age,  and,  of  course,  feel  the  infirmities  of 
age.  He  has,  in  his  lifetime,  filled  numerous  offices  of  trust 
and  responsibility,  in  the  general  and  state  government,  and 
was  the  unsuccessful  candidate  for  Governor  of  Pennsylvania  in 
1814.  He  and  the  Hon.  Jonathan  Roberts,  near  the  same  age, 
and  known  by  the  stations  he  has  filled  in  public  life,  and  who 
resides  in  Upper  Merion  township,  about  five  miles  from  Val 
ley  Forge,  are  all  the  persons  I  know  of  now  living  within 
that  distance  of  the  place,  that  were  of  sufficient  age  at  the 
time  of  the  encampment  to  remember  the  transaction  of  it ;  and 
they  must,  ere  long,  cease  to  be  amongst  us. 

This  communication  has  been  extended  to  an  unusual 
length,  and  I  must  now  conclude  for  the  present;  and  in  my 
next,  if  possible,  draw  the  whole  subject  to  a  conclusion. 


LETTER  XXXII 

CONCLUSION 

RESUME  my  pen  in  order  to  commence  my  last 
communication  on  the  subject  that  has  so  long  oc 
cupied  our  attention.  Much  more  might  have  been 
said  upon  it,  as  I  have  obtained  some  further  in 
formation  since  their  publication,  from  a  few  aged 
persons  whom  I  have  met,  but  as  the  proper  time  for  insert 
ing  them  has  passed,  I,  therefore,  shall  reluctantly  omit  them, 
and  proceed  to  a  conclusion. 

I  may  here  remark  that  an  intimate  female  friend  of  mine, 
residing  in  the  borough  of  Doylestown,  enquired  of  me 
whether  I  would  conclude  with  a  heroine  to  my  story.  This 
request,  I  understood,  was  made  at  the  suggestions  of  others 
of  the  borough.  In  answer  to  the  inquiry  and  request,  I  may 
inform  them  that  it  was  not  my  intention  to  introduce  any 
works  of  fiction  or  romance  in  these  narratives,  and  I  shall  ad 
here  to  it.  All  that  has  been  inserted  are  facts  that  I  have 
heard  related,  or  that  have  transpired  under  my  immediate 
notice,  and  as  such,  have  endeavored  to  give  a  full  and  im 
partial  narrative  concerning  them.  It  is  true  there  may  have 
some  errors  occurred  in  relating  the  history,  but  I  trust  noth 
ing  material,  and  they  may  be  overlooked.  If  any  of  my 
readers  desire  a  hero  or  heroine  to  complete  these  sketches,  I 
think  they  can  find  them  in  the  true  accounts  given  of  my 
mother's  journey  to  hunt  Jehu,  and  the  female  friend  alluded 
to  who  released  her  husband  from  York  prison ;  these  accounts 
with  a  little  further  addition  concerning  the  sequel  of  their 
lives  may  answer  for  heroines  to  my  history.  I  shall,  there 
fore,  proceed  to  give  a  few  more  additional  particulars  con 
cerning  them. 

HEROINES  OF  THE  HISTORY 

The  latter,  who  released  her  husband,  soon  after  her  ar 
rival  in  Philadelphia,  was,  with  other  Americans  who  favored 
the  royal  cause,  sent  to  England.  After  a  residence  there  of 
several  years,  they  removed  to  Nova  Scotia,  and  from  thence 
to  Montreal  in  Canada.  At  the  latter  place,  I  think,  her  hus 
band  died,  and  she,  with  her  family,  removed  to  the  neighbor 
hood  of  Spring  Garden  township,  in  Chester  county;  where, 


150  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

sometime  after,  she  married  the  person  at  whose  house  they 
arrived  the  morning  after  their  flight  from  York,  he  having,  in 
the  meantime,  become  a  widower.  She  then  removed  to  reside 
with  him  at  the  place  where  she  spent  the  residue  of  her  days, 
a  useful  and  highly  esteemed  member  of  the  religious  Society 
of  Friends,  a  kind  neighbor  and  affectionate  mother,  and,  after 
having  fulfilled  these  various  duties,  she  closed  a  useful  and 
exemplary  life  in  a  good  old  age,  in  the  spring  of  1813. 

To  complete  the  story  of  my  heroine,  I  hope  I  may  be  ex 
cused  if  I  pay  a  small  tribute  to  my  parents,  from  whom  I  re 
ceived  the  greater  part  of  the  foregoing  accounts  concerning 
the  Revolution.  In  the  first  place,  though  not  properly  in  the 
order  of  time,  yet  to  connect  the  matter  now  engaged,  I  shall 
give  the  sequel  of  the  life  of  my  worthy  mother.  She  was  one, 
born  and  died  on  the  same  spot  of  earth,  and  her  long  life  was 
attended  with  many  vicissitudes,  and  had  to  encounter  many 
severe  hardships  and  trials  through  her  long  life,  particularly 
about  the  period  of  the  Revolution,  and  her  four  days  eventful 
journey  mentioned  in  my  fourth  and  fifth  numbers,  may  be 
taken  as  a  sample  of  what  she  and  many  others,  similarly  sit 
uated,  had  to  pass  through;  but  possessing  strong  powers  of 
mind  and  health  of  body,  she  was  enabled  to  persevere  through 
all;  and  though  fortune  smiled  not  upon  her,  and  disappoint 
ment  and  distress  often  marked  her  passing  through  life,  yet 
she  attained  a  great  age,  retaining  to  the  last  her  mental  fac 
ulties  and  memory,  though  for  several  years  of  her  life  de 
prived  of  the  blessings  of  sight  and  hearing,  and  in  other  re 
spects  much  debilitated,  yet  her  recollection  was  vivid,  and 
having  the  use  of  her  conversational  powers  and  a  happy 
facility  in  conveying  her  sentiments,  her  company,  even  in  old 
age,  was  very  interesting.  She  abounded  in  anecdotes,  reminis 
cences  and  historical  facts  of  the  period  of  the  Revolution,  par 
ticularly  the  time  of  the  encampment;  and  having  been  in 
timately  acquainted  with  Washington,  DeKalb,  Lafayette, 
Wayne,  Greene,  Mifflin,  Sullivan,  and  many  others  of  the  gen 
eral  officers  of  that  period,  she  was  often  visited  by  persons 
of  all  ages  and  both  sexes,  who  were  eager  to  obtain  informa 
tion  concerning  those  times;  so  much  so  that  she  used  fre 
quently  to  observe,  in  a  jocose  manner,  that  she  believed  people 
considered  her  a  history  of  the  encampment  at  Valley  Forge. 
Her  death  occurred,  on  the  same  farm  on  which  she  was  born 
and  lived  the  greater  part  of  her  life,  a  little  more  than  three 
years  since,  in  the  eighty-ninth  year  of  her  age. 

I  hope  to  be  indulged,  if  I,  in  this  place,  make  a  few  re 
marks  concerning  my  father.  Although  his  death  occurred 
many  years  before  my  mother's,  yet  I  have  placed  it  here  in 
order  to  place  the  accounts  of  my  heroines  in  connection.  My 
father,  if  living  at  this  time  (1850) ,  would  have  been  one  hun 
dred  years  old.  The  early  part  of  his  life,  previous  to  join- 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  151 

ing  the  army,  and  till  near  it  close,  was  spent  in  various  places, 
both  on  sea  and  land.  The  place  of  his  nativity  was  in  the 
state,  then  colony,  of  Maryland ;  and  I  have  heard  him  relate 
many  incidents  of  his  early  life.  He  was  left  an  orphan  when 
very  young,  and  never  had  any  knowledge  of  his  parents  or 
family  connections.  He  left  that  country  when  young  and 
never  returned  to  it.  Among  other  things  related,  I  have  heard 
him  mention  having  seen,  when  young,  General  Braddock  with 
his  army  land  at  Annapolis.  After  some  time  spent  in  various 
places,  he  settled,  when  young,  in  Hillsborough,  in  the  state 
or  North  Carolina.  While  residing  there  he  was  one  of  a  num 
ber  of  young  men  who  accompanied  Daniel  Boone  and  Hender 
son  to  Kentucky.  Soon  after  this  expedition,  he  entered  the 
army,  and  continued  in  it  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  finally 
settled,  about  forty  years  before  his  death,  at  the  place  where 
a  part  of  our  family  still  reside,  where  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  days.  He  was  deprived  of  life  by  a  fatal  accident,  on  the 
23d  of  twelfth  month,  (December)  1820,  aged  seventy-one 
years.  I  addition  to  what  I  have  heard  him  relate  concerning 
the  encampment  at  Valley  Forge  that  has  been  inserted,  much 
more  might  have  been  added  concerning  that  particular  time, 
but  it  must  be  omitted.  And  if  time  afforded  me  the  oppor 
tunity  of  embodying  in  language  the  various  accounts  of  his 
early  life,  the  incidents  of  the  Revolution  that  he  witnessed, 
the  many  battles  and  marches  he  engaged  in,  and  also  some 
events  of  his  subsequent  life,  it  would  afford  material  for  sev 
eral  months  publication  in  similar  communications  to  this  and 
the  preceding  ones,  and  furnish  some  additional  historical 
facts  concerning  the  Revolution,  that  have  never  been  pub 
lished,  but  I  shall  now  take  leave  of  the  subject  and  draw  to 
wards  a  close. 

Having  now  given  a  history  of  all  the  farms  that  were  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  Valley  Forge,  particularly  those  that 
were  embraced  in  the  lines  of  the  encampment,  and  such  as 
were  the  theatre  of  important  and  interesting  events  during 
that  period,  and  in  some  of  my  former  letters  have  had  refer 
ence  to  the  early  settlement  of  some  of  them,  the  state  of 
things  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  the  tried  situation  of  the 
inhabitants  during  that  period,  the  quarters  of  the  different 
general  officers,  the  desolate  state  of  the  country  after  the 
removal  of  the  army,  its  improvement  since  that  time,  also  its 
present  situation  and  owners,  and  likewise  the  discoveries  of 
various  mineral  substances  that  have  recently  been  discovered 
in  that  section  of  country,  I  am  sensible  that  many  of  these 
things  may  not  be  of  sufficient  interest  to  many  persons  unac 
quainted  with  the  localities  of  the  place,  and  the  families  and 
persons  who  have  been  alluded  to.  I  have,  therefore,  inserted 
them  that  should  any  who  are  strangers  to  them  visit  that  por 
tion  of  country,  they  may,  upon  inquiry,  ascertain  the  differ 
ent  places  referred  to  in  the  preceding  communications;  and 


152  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

I  hope  they  will  accept  of  these  last  remarks  as  an  excuse  for 
their  publication,  if  any  be  necessary. 

In  preparing  this  account  of  a  portion  of  country  intimately 
connected  with  our  national  existence,  and  identified  with  the 
history  of  the  Revolution,  I  am  aware  of  not  doing  justice  to 
the  subject  and  of  embodying  it  in  language  as  clear  and  com 
prehensive  as  I  could  have  wished  for  the  information  of  my 
numerous  readers,  not  only  of  the  papers  of  this  county,  but 
in  many  other  places  I  have  been  informed  these  documents 
have  been  published,  yet  I  hope  I  shall  so  far  succeed  in  my 
undertaking  as  to  induce  some  among  those  who  never  have, 
to  visit  the  place  and  behold  what  I  have  endeavored  to  de 
scribe. 

I  would,  therefore,  request  those  who  have  leisure  and  in 
clination  to  visit  the  place.  A  few  hours  ride  from  the  borough 
of  Doylestown  would  convey  them  there,  a  journey  that  would 
amply  repay  their  toil.  At  Port  Kennedy  they  would  find  an 
excellent  hotel,  furnished  with  every  accommodation.  In 
traveling  the  country  many  traces  of  the  encampment  would 
be  found,  to  remind  them  of  the  troublesome  times  our  an 
cestors  passed  through  to  purchase  our  freedom.  And  those 
who  witnessed  that  period  would  not  be  met  with,  as  these  are 
nearly  all  gone  down  to  the  grave,  and  the  few  survivors  are 
far  advanced  in  years,  and  none  residing  in  the  immediate 
vicinity,  yet  in  their  rambles  they  would  meet  with  many  to 
whom  these  things  are  known,  among  whom  are  some  of  the 
descendants  of  the  Moores,  the  Stephenses,  the  Walkers  and 
other  families  which  have  been  noticed,  who  still  would  de 
light  to  point  out  the  situations,  localities,  objects  and  im 
provements  that  have  been  mentioned. 

It  is  not,  as  in  a  former  letter,  in  imagination  but  in  reality, 
that  I  now  request  some  of  my  readers  who  have  never  vis 
ited  these  places  to  visit  the  place,  and  first  to  stand  upon  the 
spot  once  known  as  Mprdecai  Moore's  fort,  and  from  this 
eminence  view  the  portion  of  country  that  I  have  been  de 
scribing — once  a  scene  of  desolation  from  the  effects  of  the  en 
campment,  and  where  many  a  patriot  of  the  Revolution  suf 
fered  more  than  language  can  describe,  from  the  cold,  chill 
ing  wind  and  driving  snows,  and  other  accumulated  suffer 
ings,  already  noticed,  and  while  you  figure  to  your  imagination 
the  state  of  things  then  existing  there,  contrast  it  with  its  now 
prosperous  condition.  On  every  side  as  far  as  the  sight  ex 
tends,  is  seen  the  marks  of  industry  exhibited  in  a  highly 
cultivated  country,  large  buildings  and  fruitful  abounding 
with  plenty  and  teeming  with  flocks  and  herds.  On  the  south 
and  east  will  be  seen  the  fruitful  farms  of  the  Great  Valley, 
exceeded  by  few,  if  any,  in  the  state,  and  on  the  north  and  west 
the  beautiful  Schuylkill  and  Reading  Railroad,  the  former  ma 
jestically  bearing  on  its  placid  bosom  its  large  boats  laden 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  153 

with  coal,  lime  and  numerous  other  products;  the  latter  with 
the  numerous  pleasure  and  burden  cars,  propelled  by  locomo 
tives,  freighted  in  like  manner  and  moving  with  incredible 
velocity  from  one  place  to  another ;  while  near  upon  the  Schyl- 
kill  may  be  seen  the  thriving  village  of  Port  Kennedy,  and  also 
see  and  behold  the  hum  of  business  carried  on  at  the  place.  In 
addition  to  these  artificial  improvements,  may  be  beheld  on  both 
sides  of  the  river  nature's  scenery  equally  beautiful  and  inter 
esting,  that  while  gazing  on  these  things  the  viewer  will  be 
almost  led  to  exclaim  with  Dyer  in  his  poetic  description  of 
"Grouger  Hill,"  nearly  as  follows : 

"Ever  charming,  ever  new— 
When  will  the  landscape  tire  the  view ; 
The  'river/  village,  dome  and  farm, 
Each  gives  each  a  double  charm." 

From  this  place  traverse  the  old  encampment  ground ;  view 
the  remains  of  the  fortifications  and  the  breastworks  and  the 
outlines  of  the  huts,  visit  Headquarters  at  Valley  Forge,  view 
the  different  manufactories  of  the  place,  the  copper  mines  in 
the  vicinity,  the  lime  kilns  at  Port  Kennedy,  and  many  other 
things  that  may  be  found  in  the  limits  of  that  section  of  coun 
try,  which  has  been  described,  but  which  time  would  fail  to 
enumerate,  and  which  must  be  seen  to  be  duly  appreciated.  I, 
therefore,  leave  them  for  the  personal  examination  of  any  who 
feel  sufficiently  interested  in  the  subject  to  visit  them,  fully 
persuaded  that  few,  if  any,  would  regret  their  visit.  I  shall 
now  proceed  to 

AUTHOR'S  VALEDICTORY 

In  drawing  these  narratives  to  a  conclusion  I  may  acknowl 
edge  the  flattering  accounts  I  have  received  of  their  reception, 
not  only  in  this  my  adopted  county,  but  in  other  parts  of  the 
country,  and  in  the  halls  of  our  National  Legislature.  It  con 
firms  me  in  an  opinion  that  I  entertained  in  the  commence 
ment  of  the  work,  that  the  subject  is  one  of  deep  interest,  and 
worthy  of  being  rescued  from  oblivion.  And  this  small  section 
of  country  will  always  occupy  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  his 
tory  of  our  national  existence.  In  this,  our  large  and  vastly 
extended  Republic,  there  are,  no  doubt,  in  the  greater  part  of 
it  the  descendants  of  those  who  were  there  during  that  gloomy 
period,  and  to  whom  they  will  prove  interesting,  and  recall  to 
their  memories  many  things  that  they  have  heard  related  by 
those  who  witnessed  these  things.  But  I  regret  that  it  was  not 
undertaken  at  an  earlier  period,  particularly  while  my  friend, 
the  late  Matthias  Holstein,  of  Norristown,  was  living,  who 
was  always  desirous  that  these  accounts  should  be  preserved 


154  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

and  given  to  the  public,  and  who  urgently  requested  me  to  un 
dertake  it.  His  death  occurred  before  I  commenced  the  col 
lection,  which  I  deferred  for  a  considerable  time,  hoping  an 
able  writer,  who  was  in  possession  of  the  same  and  more  ma 
terials  for  the  compilation  of  a  work  of  this  kind,  would  have 
undertaken  it.  I  may  also  add  that  I  have  been  frequently 
solicited  of  late  to  have  them  published  in  a  volume,  in  order 
more  fully  to  preserve  them,  And  the  question  is  often  asked 
whether  it  will  be  done.  In  reply,  I  can  only  say  at  present, 
that  the  manuscripts  will  be  preserved,  but  if  they  should  ever 
be  published,  it  will  be  necessary  for  them  to  undergo  a  re 
vision,  as  many  of  them  were  written  in  haste,  and  sent  to 
the  printer  without  previous  correction,  which  may  account 
for  many  errors  and  omissions,  as  well  as  grammatical  con 
structions  in  the  publication  of  different  communications. 
Should  they  ever  be  published  in  a  volume,  some  extraneous 
matter  and  repetitions  will  be  omitted,  and  considerable  addi 
tional  information,  some  of  which  was  purposely  omitted  in 
order  to  make  the  account  as  short  as  possible,  and  some  that 
has  been  furnished  since  commencing  the  publication,  but  not 
received  in  proper  time,  will  be  inserted. 

While  penning  this  last  communication  my  mind  is  clothed 
with  serious  impressions,  when  thought  carries  me  back  to  the 
Revolution,  and  memory  brings  to  my  recollection  those  who 
were  then  the  owners  or  occupants  of  that  land  that  was  the 
scene  of  the  events  that  have  been  described.  The  most  of 
them  I  remember,  but  more  than  thirty  years  have  rolled 
around  since  the  last  of  them  have  gone  down  to  the  grave; 
and  of  their  children  there  are  but  three  of  them  left  remain 
ing,  and  these  are  more  than  four  score  years  of  age.  Myself 
and  the  contemporaries  of  my  youthful  days,  who  still  survive, 
are  now  growing  old,  and  in  a  quarter  of  a  century  more  how 
few  of  us  will  be  in  this  state  of  existence ;  the  most  of  us  will 
be  mouldering  in  the  dust,  and  our  children  and  grandchildren 
will  fill  our  places.  We  cannot  look  into  futurity  and  behold 
the  future  destiny  of  our  now  prosperous  and  happy  country, 
but  when  we  look  back  on  the  last  quarter  of  a  century,  how 
are  we  struck  with  admiration  and  amazement,  when  we  see 
the  great  advancement  and  the  many  improvements  that  have 
taken  place  during  that  period.  And  how  great  has  been  the 
extent  of  our  country,  and  the  increase  of  population  since  the 
adoption  of  our  present  Constitution.  Our  territory  and  pop 
ulation  are  no  longer  confined  to  the  original  thirteen  states, 
and  the  limited  territory  we  then  possessed.  It  now  extends 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  from  the  British 
possessions  on  the  north  and  east,  to  the  Mexican  on  the  south, 
— the  most  of  it  abounding  with  inhabitants,  moral  and  intel 
ligent,  all  members  of  this  great  Republic,  and  equallly  inter 
ested  in  its  preservation.  All  these  acquisitions  which  it  is 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  155 

needless  to  detail,  and  the  many  improvements  that  we  see 
around  us  have  taken  place  since  the  commencement  of  the 
present  century,  and  are  still  moving  onward.  Who  can  cal 
culate  the  advancement  they  may  continue  to  make  in  a  few 
years,  if  they  continue  to  progress  in  the  same  ratio — what 
the  youth  of  the  present  generation  will  live  to  behold  when  we 
are  no  more ! 

The  perpetuation  of  our  free  institutions,  the  cultivation  of 
universal  peace  with  all  nations,  the  subject  of  general  educa 
tion,  the  acquirement  of  industrious  and  correct  habits,  are 
subjects  next  to  our  gratitude  to  the  Great  Author  of  all  good 
for  the  many  blessings  we  enjoy  ought  to  claim  our  serious 
consideration,  in  order  that  they  may  descend  as  rich  legacies 
to  our  latest  posterity. 

And  let  us  ever  remember  the  hardships  and  sufferings 
our  predecessors  passed  through  in  order  to  obtain  it,  a  part  of 
which  may  be  learned  by  perusing  the  foregoing  narrative.  It 
was  by  being  united  they  obtained  it,  and  by  continuing  united 
it  will  be  preserved.  And  by  contrasting  the  present  state  of 
our  country,  and  the  changes  that  have  taken  place  since  the 
period  of  the  Revolution,  and  when  we  view  its  present  happy 
and  prosperous  condition  compared  with  the  gloomy  state  of 
things  then  existing,  let  it  teach  us  to  value  the  blessings  of 
peace  and  industry,  and  fondly  hope  that  it  will  ever  continue 
to  dwell  in  our  land  and  the  day  arrive  when  "nation  shall 
not  lift  up  the  sword  against  nation,  and  the  sons  of  men  learn 
war  no  more." 

In  taking  leave  of  my  readers,  and  concluding  the  subject,  I 
may  remark,  that  when  I  review  what  I  have  been  writing,  and 
contemplate  the  changes  that  have  taken  place  since  my  recol 
lection,  and  when  thought  carries  me  back  to  that  time  when 
the  foot  of  civilized  man  never  had  trod  the  ground  that  had 
been  described,  recur  to  its  early  settlement,  and  lastly  reflect 
upon  the  number  of  my  friends  and  acquaintances  of  all  ages 
and  different  periods,  that  since  my  time  have  been  laid  in  the 
dust,  I  am  forcibly  reminded  of  one  of  the  poetic  effusions  of 
my  early  friend  and  associate,  Charles  W.  Thomson,  now 
Rector  of  the  Episcopal  Church  at  York,  in  this  state,  entitled 
the  "Islet  of  Ona,"  a  poetic  name  given  by  him  to  a  small 
island  in  the  Schuylkill,  near  Fairmount,  on  which  the  lines 
were  written  by  him,  containing  a  description  of  the  surround 
ing  country  previous  to  its  being  settled  by  civilized  inhabi 
tants,  and  contrasting  it  with  its  then  present  state,  and  al 
luding  to  its  primitive  settlers  and  its  original  inhabitants, 
who  had  been  numbered  with  the  dead,  he  concluded  with  the 
following  lines,  that  so  correspond  with  my  present  feelings, 


156  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

that  I  know  of  nothing  more  appropriate  for  me  to  conclude 
this  my  last  communication  with.    They  are  as  follows : 

"And  when  another  century, 
As  unperceived  has  passed  away — 

Fleeting  from  day  to  day: 
Alas!  the  scene  must  shift  again 
And  we  who  now  our  seats  retain, 

Will  sleep  as  sound  as  they." 


APPENDIX 


EDWARD  WOODMAN,  FATHER  OF  THE  HISTORIAN 

A  sketch  by  his  granddaughter,  Miss  Mary  S.  Woodman,  for  his 
descendants. 

EARLY  LIFE 

It  may  be  said  that  Edward  Woodman  is  the  first  one  of  the  family 
we  know  of  with  any  certainty.  He  was  born  in  Chestertown,  Md.,  on 
Christmas  Day,  1749.  His  parents,  whose  Christian  names  are  not 
known  by  the  writer,  were  of  English  origin  or  direct  from  England. 
But  it  is  supposed  they  were  descendants  of  the  New  England  pioneers 
that  settled  at  Newburyport,  Mass.,  and  were  among  the  settlers.  (A 
genealogy  written  by  Cyrus  Woodman,  one  of  the  New  England  Wood- 
mans,  gives  a  very  interesting  account  of  them  down  to  the  present  day. 
They  were  a  sturdy  and  upright  people.) 

His  father,  he  was  told,  died  in  August,  before  his  birth.  His  mother 
landed  at  Chestertown  soon  after  the  death  of  her  husband,  which  oc 
curred  at  sea.  From  what  has  been  told  the  writer,  it  is  safe  to  conclude 
his  parents  had  previously  established  a  home  at  Chestertown.  His 
earliest  remembrance  of  himself  was  living  with  his  mother,  an  old 
negress  and  a  negro  lad  at  Chestertown.  His  mother  died  when  he  was 
quite  young.  He  could  remember  his  baptism  in  the  Episcopal  church. 
Whether  his  mother  was  living  at  the  time  is  not  known.  After  the 
death  of  his  mother,  he  was  taken  into  the  family  of  William  Clayton, 
also  the  two  negroes.  The  old  woman  curled  his  hair  and  dressed  him, 
besides  other  things  needful  in  the  care  of  a  child.  All  the  comforts  of 
that  early  time  were  bestowed  upon  the  little  orphan  boy.  A  pony  was 
kept  for  his  sole  use.  When  the  boy  Edward  was  old  enough  to  go  to 
school,  the  pony  was  saddled  and  he  rode  it,  the  negro  boy  walking  along 
side,  carrying  a  basket  with  his  dinner  in  it.  When  the  school  closed 
for  the  day,  the  negro  came  with  the  pony  to  take  him  back  to  the 
Clayton  home.  The  negro  boy  often  told  him  he  owned  the  old  woman 
and  himself,  and  that  they  did  not  belong  to  Master  William  Clayton. 
From  the  care  taken  of  him  by  the  two  slaves,  and  many  other  atten 
tions  he  received,  we  suppose  he  was  the  owner  of  property,  real  or  per 
sonal,  and  that  William  Clayton  was  the  guardian. 

Things  went  well  with  the  boy  while  William  Clayton  lived.  Judg 
ing  from  the  many  things  he  used  to  tell  of  boyish  tricks  and  pranks  of 
which  he  was  guilty,  not  sinful  but  annoying  to  those  who  had  to  live 
with  him,  he  certainly  was  not  always  a  pleasure  to  the  Clayton  family. 
William  Clayton  and  his  wife  were  very  kind  to  him  at  all  times,  Mrs. 
Clayton  often  taking  him  with  her  when  she  went  on  horseback  to  visit 
her  friends.  He  was  on  his  pony,  one  or  more  of  the  daughters  on  their 
ponies,  all  going  on  a  visit,  where  he  was  given  a  full  share  of  all  the 
pleasures  of  the  table  and  household.  How  long  William  Clayton  lived 
after  he  took  his  ward  into  his  family  I  cannot  say.  He  was  a  kind 
man  to  all  his  family  and  slaves.  To  his  daughters  and  the  orphan 
whom  he  sheltered  he  was  over  indulgent,  at  least  so  the  boy  thought 
after  he  came  to  the  mature  thoughts  of  manhood.  He  used  afterwards 
to  say  sometimes,  "What  a  spoiled,  careless,  disagreeable  boy  I  must 
have  been." 


158  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

FOUR  YEARS  WITH  PIRATES 

Time,  which  brings  changes  to  all  things,  brought  a  great  change 
to  young  Edward.  When  he  was  thirteen  or  fourteen  years  old,  he  did 
not  remember  the  exact  age  at  the  time,  he  took  life  into  his  own  manage 
ment.  William  Clayton  was  dead  but  he  was  still  with  the  widow  and 
daughters.  The  girls  scolded  him  so  much  and  so  often  he  got  tired  of 
it,  so  concluded  to  run  away. 

Clayton  owned  a  ship  that  traded  between  Chestertown  and  the 
Island  of  Barbadoes.  The  ship  was  back  from  a  voyage  and  loading  for 
another.  A  good  opportunity  thought  the  boy,  so  off  he  went,  the 
thoughtless,  misguided  little  fellow.  The  sailors  hid  him  from  the  cap 
tain,  till  the  ship  was  so  far  out  that  he  could  not  be  put  ashore.  On 
the  return  voyage  the  captain  thought  to  add  still  more  to  the  profits, 
either  for  the  Clayton  family  or  for  himself.  So  he  sailed  to  Virginia, 
disposed  of  his  cargo,  reloaded  and  set  sail  again,  bound  for  Halifax. 
The  breezes  may  have  been  good,  and  the  skies  fair,  but  fortune  was  not 
so  kind.  When  only  a  few  days  out,  they  were  run  down,  captured  and 
robbed  of  such  things  as  were  wanted  by  a  ship  that  had  sailed  under 
letters  of  marque,  authorized  by  the  English  government  to  prey  upon 
the  French  during  the  French  and  Indian  War  in  Canada.  The  war 
being  over,  the  captain  and  the  crew  banded  themselves  into  a  perfectly 
lawless  set,  that  lived  by  stealing  on  land  and  sea  whatever  they  could 
without  danger  to  themselves.  What  became  of  Clayton's  ship,  captain 
or  crew,  I  am  unable  to  say  further  than  that  they  were  allowed  to  go 
unhurt.  But  the  young  wayfaring  boy  was  taken  from  it  and  put  on 
board  the  pirate  vessel.  After  getting  enough  for  their  wants  awhile, 
they  would  go  to  some  remote  part  of  the  West  Indies  or  elsewhere. 
When  it  was  consumed,  out  again  for  another  voyage  of  plunder  twice 
going  south  of  the  equator.  Though  theft  was  the  means  by  which  they 
lived,  no  murder  or  other  outrage  was  committed.  They  were  simply 
vagabonds  on  sea.  Little  Ned  was  not  asked  to  do  anything  he  did  not 
wish  to,  was  treated  with  kindness  at  all  times,  but  the  life  of  a  half 
pirate  did  not  accord  with  his  nature.  Nature  will  under  adverse  con 
ditions,  in  part  if  not  entirely,  assert  itself.  So  in  the  case  of  the  captive 
boy  a  secret  desire  was  ever  present  in  his  mind  to  get  away  from  his 
dishonest  captors.  Four  years  passed  before  the  opportunity  came  to 
escape. 

The  ship  was  sailing  off  the  coast  of  North  Carolina.  In  some  way 
it  became  unseaworthy  and  put  into  one  of  the  ports  of  that  colony.  See 
ing  his  time  had  come,  he  made  good  his  escape,  and  ran  back  into  the 
thinly  settled  parts  of  the  country,  and  worked  for  the  settlers  till  he  felt 
safe  in  going  to  the  more  populous  parts  of  the  colony.  So  far  as  there 
is  any  account  of  his  life  in  North  Carolina,  he  lived  in  several  different 
places.  At  one  time  he  lived  at  or  near  New  Garden,  a  settlement  of 
Friends  from  New  Garden,  Chester  county,  Pa.  On  another  occasion 
Col.  Henderson  (see  history  of  North  Carolina)  was  collecting  supplies 
to  fill  a  treaty  with  the  Indians  of  the  frontier.  He  took  fifty  men,  each 
furnished  with  a  horse  to  ride.  The  horse,  in  addition  to  carrying  the 
rider,  was  loaded  with  a  large  saddle-bag,  in  each  end  of  which  was  a 
little  keg  of  rum  and  small  trinkets  for  the  Indians.  Still  more  each 
man  led  two  pack  horses  loaded  with  blankets,  knives  and  other  things 
Edward  Woodman  was  one  of  these  men.  Daniel  Boone  was  the  guide 
and  assistant  of  Col.  Henderson. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  MOORE'S  CREEK  BRIDGE 

The  family  accounts  of  my  grandfather  are  so  fragamentary,  I 
write  with  constant  fear  my  history  may  not  be  correct  or  properly  con 
nected.  At  one  time  he  lived  in  Tyrell  county.  On  the  outbreak  of  the 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  159 

Revolutionary  War,  his  home  was  near  Hillsboro,  where,  in  company 
with  many  others  of  the  patriots,  he  was  drilling  for  whatever  service 
they  might  be  called  upon  to  perform.  The  officers  under  whom  the  pa 
triots  were  enlisted  were  Gen.  Moore  and  Col.  Caswell.  One  day  when 
they  were  at  work  in  the  fields,  a  company  came  saying  they  were  or 
ganizing  with  all  possible  speed  and  were  to  repair  to  the  home  of  Col. 
Caswell,  near  what  is  now  Fayetteville,  N.  C.  He  ungeared  the  "crit 
ters"  (horses),  gave  them  to  the  charge  of  a  black  boy  at  work  with 
him,  at  the  same  time  telling  him  to  go  in  the  house  and  say  to  the 
women  folks  that  when  he  came  back  he  would  bid  them  good-bye.  Little 
did  or  could  he  foresee  the  many  privations  and  hardships  before  him 
or  that  he  would  never  see  the  women  folks  again. 

The  cause  for  the  sudden  calling  together  of  the  minute  men  was  to 
intercept  a  body  of  Scotch  and  Irish  settlers,  together  with  the  Tories 
to  the  number  of  1500,  under  the  command  of  Major  Gen.  McCloud  and 
Brig.-Gen.  McDonald.  A  correspondence  had  been  carried  on  between 
Sir  Henry  Clinton  at  New  York  and  Gen.  McCloud.  Their  plan  was 
for  Clinton  to  send  a  fleet  that  should  sail  up  the  Cape  Fear  river  to 
Wilmington  and  there  land.  McCloud  would  there  join  Sir  Henry's  men, 
and  the  united  forces  were  then  to  march  throughout  the  colony  and 
subdue  the  patriots  and  thus  secure  N.  C.  to  the  English. 

The  enemy  met  with  no  opposition  till  one  day's  march  from  Wil 
mington.  Gen.  Moore  being  apprized  from  the  first,  unknown  to  Mc 
Cloud,  was  watching  his  movements  from  the  rear.  Caswell  with  900 
men  went  ahead  and  placed  them  in  ambush  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
bridge  spanning  Moore's  Creek.  The  bridge  was  reached  through  a 
long  narrow  defile  of  hills  on  each  side  that  prevented  retreat.  General 
McCloud,  dressed  in  Highland  uniform,  as  were  also  his  men,  came  rid 
ing  on  the  bridge,  waved  his  sword  and  called  on  his  men  to  follow. 
Half  of  the  flooring  of  the  bridge  on  the  side  on  which  the  patriots 
lay  had  been  removed.  At  that  point  McCloud  halted.  On  the  instant 
Col.  Caswell  opened  fire,  killing  Gen.  McCloud  and  all  who  were  on  the 
bridge,  Gen.  McDonald  rallied  the  men  and  fired,  but  with  no  effect, 
Caswell's  men  being  so  well  protected  by  tall  trees  and  underwood. 
Caswell  returned  the  fire  with  such  deadly  effect  and  the  enemy  lost 
so  heavily  that  Gen.  McDonald  soon  made  a  complete  surrender.  Officers 
and  men  took  oath  not  to  engage  again  against  the  colonists.  All  were 
sent  under  guard  to  their  homes  except  300  Scotchmen,  who  were  held 
as  hostages  and  exchanged  for  our  men  who  were  confined  on  prison 
ships. 

WOODEN  PINS  FOR  FORT  MOULTRIE 

The  battle  of  Moore's  Creek  Bridge,  Feb.  27,  1776,  marks  the  time 
when  Edward  Woodman  entered  the  American  army.  The  next  active 
service  he  saw  was  when  the  British  fleet  appeared  off  Charleston,  S.  C., 
and  attacked  the  fortifications  on  Sullivan's  Island,  June  4,  1776.  Ed 
ward  was  one  of  the  soldiers  who  helped  build  Fort  Moultrie,  the  palm 
etto  logs  being  fastened  together  with  wooden  pins  which  he  and  nine 
teen  others  had  been  detached  to  make.  He  was  not  given  to  boasting 
but  was  always  proud  of  having  been  one  of  the  twenty  men  who  made 
the  wooden  pins. 

OFF  TO  THE  NORTH 

As  soon  as  the  British  sailed  away,  the  division  to  which  he  was  at 
tached  was  ordered  to  march  north.  After  marching  thirty  days  over 
bad  roads,  much  of  the  way  only  horse  paths,  many  of  the  men  had 
died  from  heat  and  fatigue.  The  horses  became  so  lame  that  the  men 
walked  much  of  the  way.  They  could  get  plenty  to  eat.  "The  time  for 


160  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

empty  stomachs,"  he  used  facetiously  to  say,  "had  not  yet  come,"  at  the 
same  time  giving  a  merry  wink  with  his  bright  eyes.  When  they  had 
reached  within  one  day's  march  of  Boston,  they  were  turned  and  sent 
to  Long  Island,  where  Washington  met  a  serious  defeat.  He  saw  much 
hard  fighting  and  skirmishing  on  Long  Island.  The  officers  under  whom 
he  came  north  cannot  be  named,  but  they  were  now  attached  to  Washing 
ton's  army,  and  for  the  greater  number  of  the  ensuing  years  shared  all 
the  hardships  and  privations  of  that  heroic  band  of  officers  and  men. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  TRENTON 

In  the  late  autumn  of  1776  Washington  was  encamped  on  the  bank 
of  the  Delaware  river,  upon  Jericho  Hill,  near  McConky's  Ferry,  in 
Bucks  county,  Penn.  The  army  was  much  reduced  in  numbers,  owing 
to  much  discontent  among  the  soldiers,  caused  largely  by  their  poor 
clothing  and  not  having  been  paid  money  due  them.  Many  whose  term 
of  enlistment  had  expired  returned  to  their  homes.  Our  brave  grand 
father  remained  firm  and  true  to  the  cause  of  Independence.  On  that 
memorable  night  of  Christmas,  1776,  Washington  crossed  the  Delaware 
at  McConky's  Ferry,  now  known  as  Taylorsville.  On  this  crossing  into 
New  Jersey  we  all  know  the  results  "from  the  books  we  have  read." 
Gen.  Sullivan  crossed  ahead  of  his  men.  When  his  horse  was  over,  he 
mounted  and  sat  silently  watching  his  soldiers  till  all  were  over.  Then 
taking  a  pinch  of  stuff,  he  said,  "Come  on,  boys."  And  onward  they 
went  through  darkness  and  snow. 

An  incident  occurred  that  night  which  was  the  experience  of  one 
or  more  of  Edward  Woodman's  friends  (they  had  likes  and  dislikes 
among  their  comrades),  a  memory  of  whom  held  a  place  in  his  heart 
through  life.  Though  the  greater  part  of  the  army  crossed  at  Mc 
Conky's  Ferry,  two  companies  went  up  to  CoryelPs  Ferry  (New  Hope), 
where  they  ferried  across.  Having  first  to  go  up  the  river  and  then  down 
in  the  darkness  and  snow,  daylight  came  before  they  reached  Trenton. 
At  length  they  came  upon  a  better  road  and  all  took  to  running.  When 
nearing  Trenton  the  officer  called  a  halt  and  told  them  to  slow  and  to 
form  in  line  so  as  to  be  ready  for  action.  After  going  forward  a  few 
hundred  yards  in  good  order,  they  saw  and  heard  three  fifers  coming  to 
meet  them  playing  "White  Cockade  and  Peacock  Feather,  American 
Boys  Fight  Forever."  The  music  told  the  victory,  the  line  broke  imme 
diately.  Every  man  felt  tired  and  hungry,  a  feeling  he  had  not  thought 
of  before  he  saw  the  fifers.  A  more  limp  and  lazy  set  of  soldiers  never 
before  marched  into  a  place  of  victory.  If  any  of  their  descendants  de 
sire  to  know  in  what  part  of  the  capture  of  Trenton  grandfather  par 
ticipated,  by  consulting  history  and  finding  the  part  of  Gen.  Sullivan,  it 
can  be  known.  That  was  the  command  he  was  under.  After  the  capture 
of  Trenton  and  the  Battle  of  Princeton,  he  was  still  alive,  still  sharing 
the  privations  and  hardships  of  his  patriotic  comrades. 

A  HORSE'S  BREATH 

There  is  another  incident  connected  with  his  army  life  that  may 
come  in  here,  as  I  do  not  know  where  he  was  at  the  time  it  occurred. 
Winter  was  approaching.  An  officer  with  a  small  squad  of  soldiers  was 
sent  to  examine  a  place  which  lay  some  miles  distant  from  where  the 
army  was  encamped,  the  object  being  to  search  for  a  good  situation  for 
winter  quarters.  One  blanket,  a  gun  and  some  ammunition  was  all  they 
carried  with  them.  After  a  day  of  more  than  usual  fatigue,  they  lay 
down  on  the  ground  with  their  guns  besides  them,  all  near  together  to 
keep  warmer.  It  was  already  dark.  The  officer  and  men  were  sure 
there  were  no  British  in  the  neighborhood.  So  sure  were  they,  no  guard 
was  placed  over  them,  a  great  mistake,  for  one  of  the  men  awoke  in  the 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  161 

night  and  going  a  little  distance  from  the  others,  found  they  were  sur 
rounded  by  British  horsemen.  The  order  was  "Every  man  run  and  save 
his  life  as  he  can."  Grandfather  had  not  run  far  when  he  felt  the  breath 
of  a  horse  against  his  face.  Turning  around  he  saw  the  rider  bending 
forward  to  strike  him  with  his  sword.  Being  too  quick  for  him,  he  ran 
his  bayonet  into  his  assailant's  abdomen.  The  man  gave  a  scream, 
turned  his  horse  and  rode  away.  Aunt  Ruth  said  her  father  always 
spoke  of  the  events  of  that  time  with  sadness.  He  would  say,  "That  poor 
man  was  the  only  person  I  ever  knew  to  a  certainty  I  killed."  Running 
on  he  came  to  a  woods  and  going  into  it  a  short  distance  he  found 
himself  on  a  steep  hill.  Knowing  he  could  not  be  followed,  he  hunted 
for  a  big  tree  and  sat  down  on  the  sheltered  side  with  his  back  to  the 
trunk,  and  was  soon  asleep.  On  waking  in  the  morning  (as  he  thought) 
the  sun  was  up.  Looking  around  he  saw  only  a  few  feet  from  where 
he  had  spent  the  night  a  high  rocky  bank  with  a  deep  creek  at  the  bot 
tom.  Again  his  life  had  been  spared  by  not  falling  over  and  drowning. 
Coming  from  another  direction  and  leading  down  the  hill  was  a  well 
trodden  path.  Following  it  he  saw  two  sets  of  farm  buildings  on  the 
other  side  of  the  creek.  After  walking  more  than  a  mile  he  came  upon 
foot-stones.  The  path  led  up  to  one  of  the  farm  houses,  where  they 
gave  him  his  supper  and  shelter  for  the  night.  The  sun  was  almost  set. 
He  had  slept  in  the  woods  nearly  the  whole  day.  When  the  sun  had 
risen  in  the  morning,  it  had  shone  through  the  leafless  trees  and  warmed 
him  so  he  slept  till  after  noon.  The  house  was  filled  with  women  and 
children,  the  men  of  both  families  being  in  the  American  army.  The 
women  and  children,  from  a  grandmother  to  a  nursing  child,  were  living 
together  to  help  each  other  as  best  they  could.  The  other  house  was 
abandoned.  Morning  came  and  he  was  about  to  leave,  when  one  of  the 
women  said:  "Soldier,  you  are  numbered  with  the  dead.  Stay  and  work 
for  us;  we  need  your  help  so  much."  He  had  told  them  how  he  came  to 
be  there  and  of  the  skirmish  in  the  night.  The  offer  was  good,  the  sum 
mer  campaign  was  over,  so  he  stayed  and  worked  hard  in  preparing 
material  for  a  fence  which  the  women  and  children  could  build  in  the 
spring.  He  was  well  clothed  and  fed,  even  had  stockings  and  shoes, 
the  only  ones  he  ever  got  during  his  whole  term  of  service  in  the  Revo 
lution.  The  shoes  he  had  on  when  first  sent  north  wore  out  on  the 
march  and  he  aferward  went  barefoot  with  the  one  exception.  He  did 
not  suffer  so  much  as  many  of  his  comrades,  whose  feet  often  cracked 
and  bled.  It  was  his  practice  often  to  wash  his  feet,  which  he  thought 
was  the  cause  of  their  always  being  so  sound  and  well. 

Spring  came  and  the  one  whose  life  we  are  trying  to  follow  turned 
his  mind  again  to  what  he  felt  to  be  his  greatest  duty.  Taking  his  gun 
one  morning  in  March  and  bidding  the  family  farewell,  he  trudged  off  to 
the  army  again.  On  reaching  the  encampment  he  asked  to  see  Gen.  Sul 
livan.  The  officer  who  received  him  asked  many  questions.  What  had  he 
come  there  for?  Why  must  he  see  Gen.  Sullivan?  etc.,  etc.  Handing  the 
officer,  his  gun,  he  answered:  "Search  me  well,  see  that  I  have  nothing 
with  which  to  injure  the  commander,  and  take  me  to  him.  I  have  some 
thing  to  say  to  him  I  can  say  to  no  one  else."  To  Sullivan  he  was  sent, 
and  he  told  his  story — how  he  had  escaped  in  the  night  and  where  the 
winter  was  spent,  and  gave  his  reasons  for  not  returning  sooner.  "Now 
the  time  is  come  I  might  be  needed.  Here  I  am,  you  see."  The  General 
listened  quietly  to  all  he  had  to  say,  then  answered :  "My  boy,  I  am  glad 
you  are  back  and  gladder  yet  you  are  alive."  Then  giving  him  a  hearty 
handshake  and  a  pinch  of  snuff,  he  sent  him  back  to  his  place  in  the 
ranks  of  the  army.  The  reason  for  insisting  to  see  Sullivan  was  that 
if  he  reported  to  any  other  officer,  the  danger  of  being  treated  as  a  de 
serter  was  hanging  over  him.  Sullivan  was  a  man  of  such  nobility  of 
character,  no  fear  was  to  be  apprehended  from  that  score. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  we  do  not  know  in  what  locality  the  foregoing 
occurrence  happened,  but  suppose  it  somewhere  in  New  England.  It  was 


162  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

so  cold  the  milk  froze  in  their  living  room.    Nor  do  we  know  the  date  ef 
the  winter. 

AT  BRANDYWINE  AND  GERMANTOWN 

In  August,  1777,  Washington  with  his  army  was  encamped  in  War 
wick  township,  Bucks  county,  Pa.  Wm.  J.  Buck  states  there  were  North 
Carolina  troops  among  them.  We  suppose  our  grandfather  was  there. 
Family  annals  tell  to  a  certainty  he  was  in  the  Battle  of  Brandywine, 
Sept.  11,  1777;  and  also  at  Germantown,  Oct.  3,  1777.  In  the 
death  of  Gen.  Nash,  which  occurred  in  the  latter  battle,  he 
suffered  what  he  always  felt  to  be  a  personal  loss.  They 
had  been  acquainted  in  North  Carolina,  and  throughout  all  the  changes, 
hard  or  easy,  that  the  fortunes  of  war  brought  to  them,  Gen.  Nash  was 
his  firm  friend.  Our  grandfather  was  near  him  when  he  fell.  He  was 
one  to  help  bear  him  from  the  field  and  bury  him  in  the  graveyard 
belonging  to  the  church  at  Towamencin,  Pa. 

AT  VALLEY  FORGE 

Throughout  all  his  wanderings,  far  or  near,  there  is  no  place 
around  which  so  much  interest  centers  or  so  great  a  desire  is  felt  by  his 
descendants  to  know  all  about  him  as  his  coming  to  Valley  Forge,  Dec., 
1777. 

Very  soon  after  the  army  became  encamped,  smallpox  broke  out. 
Our  great-grandfather  Abijah  Stephens  went  early  every  morning  to 
the  camp  and  stayed  late  in  the  evening,  waiting  on  the  sick.  One  eve 
ning  when  he  came  home,  he  said  to  his  wife:  "Priscilla,  there  is  a 
soldier  that  helps  me  to  nurse  the  sick,  that  came  from  North  Carolina, 
he  told  me  today.  He  knows  thy  brother,  William  Thomas.  He  has 
worked  for  him  and  other  Friends  who  went  from  Chester  county." 

Twice  the  soldier  was  brought  home  by  the  "Doctor"  to  see  Priscilla, 
but  how  long  the  visits  were  is  not  told,  though  she  was  well  pleased 
with  him  on  both  occasions.  After  he  married  her  daughter,  she  be 
came  much  attached  to  him.  Aunt  Ruth  said:  "Well  she  might  be,  for 
he  was  faithful  in  all  things,  great  or  small,  that  added  to  her  comfort 
or  happiness." 

In  June,  1778,  Washington  moved  the  army  from  Valley  Forge;  and 
among  the  11,000  the  ragged,  barefooted  soldier,  that  was  in  the  future 
to  become  our  grandfather,  marched  away  with  no  thought  or  expecta 
tion  of  ever  returning. 

HIS  WAR  RECORD 

It  would  be  a  pleasure  to  give  some  of  the  varying  vicissitudes 
through  which,  with  his  comrades  in  arms,  he  was  destined  to  pass  before 
fate  sent  his  returning  footsteps  to  the  home  of  Abijah  Stephens. 

He  enrolled  hmiself  with  the  first  movement  in  North  Carolina,  en 
countered  the  first  fighting  at  Moore's  Creek  Bridge,  N.  C.,  under  com 
mand  of  Gen.  Moore  and  Col.  Caswell.  His  second  term  of  enlistment 
expired  August,  1782.  The  long  Revolution  was  nearly  over  for  the 
Colonies,  for  him  it  was  ended.  The  division  in  which  he  was  serving 
lay  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  City.  During  his  campaign 
of  service  he  met  the  enemy  21  times,  some  of  them  skirmishes.  At 
Trenton  there  was  no  fighting.  At  no  time  was  he  wounded  badly  enough 
to  leave  the  field,  though  the  greater  number  of  the  engagements  were 
hard  battles,  and  in  several  he  was  exposed  to  great  peril.  Neither  was  he 
ever  sick.  Having  had  the  smallpox,  he  escaped  that  when  it  raged 
with  such  violence  at  Valley  Forge.  Thus  we  see  him  leaving  the  last 
scenes  of  war  sound  and  well. 


THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE  168 

ON  THE  HOMEWARD  WAY 

Two  others  who  had  enlisted  at  the  same  time  he  did,  like  him  were 
at  liberty  to  go  home.  The  three  started  for  North  Carolina,  getting 
food  at  the  farm  houses  on  the  way.  One  of  the  men  proposed  that  they 
go  by  way  of  Valley  Forge  and  see  how  the  encampment  looked  by  that 
time.  Grandfather  answered:  "That  is  exactly  the  thing  to  do.  I  know 
Dr.  Stephens.  He  and  his  wife  are  benevolent  Quakers,  a  good  place  to 
put  into  for  a  few  days  and  get  rested,  fed  up  and  may  be  clothed." 
There  was  a  little  irony  in  saying  "may  be  clothed."  From  the  account 
that  comes  down  of  the  condition  their  clothing  was  in,  to  be  clothed 
was  a  foregone  necessity. 

To  all  who  came  to  the  hospitable  home  of  Abijah  Stephens,  the  latch 
string  hung  out.  But  our  returning  patriots  could  not  enter  when  they 
reached  that  open  door.  The  miserable  rags  they  wore  were  so  com 
pletely  worn  out,  not  one  of  them  was  fit  to  appear  in  the  presence  of 
women.  The  barn  afforded  a  place  of  refuge.  A  call  brought  the  men. 
Food  was  given  them.  Grandmother  Stephens,  whose  benevolence  knew 
no  bounds  and  whose  generosity  never  failed,  soon  had  sufficient  cloth 
ing  gathered  together  for  their  necessities.  Trout  Creek  was  near,  no 
time  was  lost  in  availing  themselves  of  its  waters.  With  hair  cut  and 
combed,  clothed  in  clean  raiment,  shaved  with  a  razor  (in  the  army  their 
beards  had  to  be  cut  with  scissors)  they  went  to  the  house  and  ate  sup 
per  with  the  family  off  the  table.  Taking  chairs  outside  they  sat  around 
for  a  friendly  talk.  It  takes  little  effort  of  the  imagination  to  suppose 
their  feelings  on  that  evening.  It  seemed  the  foreshadow  of  Paradise. 

At  the  time  of  which  I  write,  there  were  many  families  around  the 
Valley,  Radnor,  and  Newtown  Square  who  had  relatives  residing  in 
North  Carolina.  The  men  were  asked  to  stay  till  letters  could  be  writ 
ten  for  them  to  take  to  the  friends  and  relatives  so  far  away.  Two 
weeks  passed,  the  letters  were  written,  the  seed  wheat  they  had  en 
gaged  to  thresh  was  done,  the  time  to  g0  was  fixed  upon,  the  morning 
came,  Edward  Woodman  was  sick  and  not  able  to  go.  Both  the  others 
had  left  good  homes  and  parents  they  were  anxious  to  reach  and  see. 
They  went  on,  leaving  their  companion  prostrate  at  the  home  of  Abijah 
and  Priscilla  Stephens.  For  many  days  it  was  thought  he  would  never 
get  well.  He  never  did  fully  recover  a  giddiness  in  his  head,  which  fol 
lowed  the  fever.  It  would  attack  him  at  times  during  his  whole  life  and 
in  the  end  caused  his  death.  Years  after  when  William  Thomas  visited 
his  relatives  in  Chester  county,  he  said  the  letters  were  not  received,  that 
the  men  did  not  reach  their  homes.  They  were  in  all  probability  taken 
with  the  same  fever  and  died  on  the  homeward  journey. 

After  his  recovery  Edward  Woodman  worked  for  different  persons. 
The  vicinity  of  Valley  Forge  became  his  home.  At  one  time  he  worked 

for  Walker,  a  carpenter.     The  new-found    home    that    at    first 

seemed  only  chance  proved  permanent,  and  at  last  became  his  final  rest 
ing  place.  When  able  to  go  to  work,  he  left  the  Stephen's  home  and  did 
not  again  become  a  resident  of  the  household  until  his  marriage  gave 
him  an  assured  place  in  the  family. 

A  HOME  IN  THE  VALLEY 

Edward  Woodman  and  Sarah  Stephens  were  married  about  five 
years  after  he  came  to  Chester  Valley.  They  settled  on  the  little  farm 
that  Grandfather  Stephens  gave  them.  The  land  was  to  be  her  dower 
and  was  taken  off  the  lower  end  of  the  Stephen's  farm.  It  was  lo 
cated  on  the  Trout  Run  in  what  is  locally  known  as  the  Valley.  The 
public  road  running  from  Port  Kennedy  to  King-of-Prussia  passes 
through  the  land. 
*  *  *  ****** 


164  THE  HISTORY  OF  VALLEY  FORGE 

On  the  morning  of  Dec.  23,  1820,  some  persons  that  lived  among 
the  Valley  Hills  came  to  the  door  begging,  and  went  away  saying  they 
would  be  back  and  get  the  things.  So  many  demands  had  been  made 
that  season,  grandmother  felt  all  she  had  to  give  was  already  gone  and 
had  said  so  to  the  family  at  breakfast.  Grandfather  had  finished  up 
the  chores  about  the  barn,  came  to  the  window  calling:  "Sally,  do  not 
send  the  poor  helpless  creatures  away  from  our  door  empty-handed, 
they  are  so  needy.  Hunt  something  up  to  give  them." 

With  a  pathos  touching  to  hear,  grandmother  related  to  my  mother 
his  last  words,  "Something  to  give  them,"  adding,  "My  husband's  life 
was  one  of  service  and  charity,  his  last  words  the  expression  of  his  kind 
benevolent  nature."  From  the  window  he  went  to  the  barn  on  the  Val 
ley  Farm  to  thresh.  The  sound  of  the  flail  was  heard  at  the  house  but  no 
one  noticed  it  cease.  Dinner  was  ready  and  Abisha's  little  son  Edward 
went  to  call  him.  He  came  back  saying,  grandfather  was  asleep  and 
would  not  wake  up.  The  girl  went  and  came  back  running,  having  found 
him  on  the  floor  alive  but  unconscious.  He  was  carried  to  the  house 
and  died  in  a  few  minutes.  The  neighbors  on  looking  saw  he  had 
threshed  one  flooring.  Some  sheaves  lay  on  the  floor  for  the  second.  The 
pitchfork  in  the  mow  with  a  sheaf  sticking  on  the  prongs  showed  be 
yond  doubt  he  had  fallen  from  the  mow  to  the  floor,  caused  from  one 
of  the  frequent  giddy  attacks.  The  following  Christmas  would  have  been 
his  71st  birthday.  Friends  and  relatives  held  him  in  such  high  esteem 
his  funeral  procession  was  a  mile  long,  following  on  in  close  line  to  the 
Friends'  burying  ground  at  the  Valley  Meeting-house,  where  all  that 
was  mortal  of  Edward  Woodman  found  final  resting  place. 

HIS  PERSONALITY 

There  was  much  in  the  religious  Society  of  Friends  he  admired. 
Their  outward  form  suited  his  tastes,  the  inner  quiet  communion  suited 
his  spiritual  needs.  He  always  wore  plain  clothes  in  cut  and  color,  went 
regularly  to  meeting  on  First  Days,  was  particular  to  pay  meeting 
rates,  and  to  discharge  a  full  share  of  the  necessary  work  in  keeping 
the  grounds  around  the  meeting-house  in  good  order.  When  asked  why 
he  did  not  become  a  member,  he  answered:  "That  testimony  against 
war  keeps  me  out.  I  went  into  the  Revolution  with  a  sense  of  duty 
and  still  think  it  was  right." 

Aunt  Ruth  said  that  in  middle  life  he  was  erect,  nearly  six  feet 
tall,  with  broad  shoulders,  full  chest,  fine  muscular  development  through 
out,  very  blue  eyes,  a  sallow  complexion,  hair  light  brown  and  curly, 
worn  brushed  back  from  his  forehead  and  temples  and  hanging  from  the 
crown  of  his  head  to  his  coat  collar  a  mass  of  curls. 

The  nieces  and  nephews  have  told  us  of  many  kind  deeds;  how  he 
always  looked  on  the  bright  side  of  life  and  had  always  a  smile  of 
welcome  and  good  humored  joke  when  they  came  to  see  Aunt  Sallie. 
His  daughters  said  beneath  his  easy,  courteous  manner  and  gayety  was 
a  tended  conscience,  guiding  strong  religious  convictions,  which  often, 
when  alone  with  his  family,  he  used  to  express  with  beautiful  language. 
They  said  it  was  past  their  undertsanding  how  their  father  could  come 
through  the  vicissitudes  and  temptations  of  his  youth  and  early  man 
hood  and  keep  his  morals  and  integrity,  but  he  did.  A  soldier  who  had 
known  him  in  the  army  said  of  him:  "His  conduct  at  all  times  was 
characterized  by  courage,  manifesting  no  fear  in  time  of  danger.  Through 
cold,  hunger  and  fatigue  his  cheerfulness  never  failed,  and  often  raised 
the  drooping  spirits  of  his  comrades." 


INDEX 


Agriculture,  87,  97,  115,  120,  121, 

125,  126,  127,  135,  140 
American  Army,  39,  40,  44,  45,  46, 

49,  59,  76 

Amiens,  Treaty  of,  93 
Archives  of  Useful  Knowledge,  145 
Armstrong,  Gen.,  58 
armory,  86,  103 
arms,  31,  89 
artillery,  59,  60,  89 
Audubon,  Joseph,  110 
Austria,  70 

barns,  75,  120,  121 

Barnes,  Joseph,  101 

Bakewell,  Wm.,  109 

Bakewell  sheep,  110 

Baptist  Road,  27,  37,  60,  111,  112 

Baptist  meeting-house,  27,  64,  75 

Baker,  Geo.  A.,  120 

Barry,  Samuel,  114 

Bartholomew,  John,  99 

Barren  Hill,  45,  89 

Beaver,  Devault,  115 
Isaac,  128 

Beaver,  John,  58,  71,  87,  115 

Beaver,  Margaret,  83 

Bean,  John,  96 

Beidler,  Abr.,  124 

Bethel,  Robt.,  130 

Bilton  Line,  the,  128 

Blackwell,  Dr.  (Rev.)  Robt.,  116 

Blounts,  65 

Blount,  Thos.,  84 

bread,  86 

breastworks,  25,  124 

Brandywine,  26,  33,  34,  35,70,75,77 

British,  24,  30,  31,  33,  34,  36,  37, 
38,  41,  42,  43,  45,  46,  47,  60,  61, 
64,  88,  89,  90,  91,  99,  120,  121 

Brooks,  Reese,  101 

Brown,  John,  53,  58,  111,  112,  115 

Brown,  Fort,  54 

Brooks,  Major  Wm.,  61 

Bucks,  County  of,  26,  28,  94 

Bull,  John,  36 

Burgoyne,  Gen.,  31,  45,  63,  76 

Burr,  Aaron,  84 

burials,  63 

Butlers,  65 

camp,  45,  54 
Campbell,  poet,  70 


Camden,  battle  of,  67,  68 
Catfish  Island,  133 
canal,  130,  132,  136 
cattle,  41,  55,  121 
Chester  county,  27,  122 
Christ,  25 
cavalry,  115 
Clinton,  Geo.,  84 

Dewitt,  85 
Cedar  Creek,  128 
Claibornes,  65 
Clever,  Gen.,  82 
clothing,  24,  57,  49,  79 
coal,  105 
colonists,  42 
Columbia  Railroad,  60 
Commissary  Dept.,  79 

General,  123 

Congress,  46,  62,  63,  64,  72,  79,  99 
copper,  108,  125,  138,  139,  141,  142 
Conway,  Gen.,  58,  59,  63,  77 
Continental  Army,  30,  31,  85,  88,  93 
money,  60,67,79,96,125 
Conshohocken,  60,  89 
Conrad,  John,  101 

Dennis,  128 
cooking,  55 
cotton,  103 
crops,  75 
crystals,  139 
Currie,  Rev.  Wm.,  115 

Darrach,  Lydia,  46,  90 


Dav 


is,  Geo.,  134 


Hon.  John,  58,  99 
Dr.  Jones,  136 
Joseph,  121 
Mordecai,  121 
Wm.,  112,  113 
Zachary,  57,  136 
Day's  Hist.  Researches,  89 
Dearborn,  Henry,  84 
Delaware  river,  45 
DeKalb,  Baron,  58,  64,  67-69,   70, 

147,  150 

Dennison,  Andrew,  94 
Dewees,  Col.  Wm.,  31,  32,  37,  38, 

42,  43,  97,  99,  120,  121 
Dewees,  Sarah,  43 

Thomas  W.,  120 
Waters,  120 
widow,  120,  121 


Doylestown,  38 
Dubryson,  Gen.,  58,  70,  71,  97 
Duportale,  Gen.,  60,  70 
Duponceau,  Gen.,  70 


Easttown,  77 

encampment,  25,  29,  48,  53,  79,  81, 

87,  91,  92,  93 
encampment  ground,    46,    54,    81, 

107,  108,  109,  111,  129 
Eglington,  Mr.,  129,  133 
Elliott,  John,  130 
engineers,  60 
England,  77,  103 
Ephrata,  75 

Evan  ap  Bevan,  28,  122 
Evans,  Brooks,  103 
"       Stephen,  28 


Fatland  Ford,  59,  72 

Island,  133 
Fifty  Acres,  the,  80 
Fishbourne,  Major  Benj.,  116,  117 
fishing,  129 
flour,  87 

food,  49,  50,  51,  57,  62,  66,  72 
forage,  75 

Force,  Henry,  57,  133 
flocks,  88 
Forge,  the,  20,26,27,28,  29,  30,  31, 

33, 36, 37, 38, 42, 54, 88,  92, 120, 121 
forts,  53,  54,  85,  86,  137 
Forrest,  Thomas,  84 
free  stone,  140,  141 
Frick,  John,  130 
Fricke,  Jacob,  33,  113 
fortifications,  25,  111,  123 
France,  77 
Friends    (Quakers),    57    109,    117 

129,  150 

Friends'  meeting-house,  75,  76,  80 
Front  Line  Hill,  53,  54,  55,  59,  82, 

86,  87,  95,  119,  121,  126 
fuel,  74,  75,  79,  88,  89,  92,  95,  96 
Furman,  Gen.,  58 


Gates,  Gen.,  45,  63 

Geerhart,  Frederic,  87,  105 

German  farmer,  115 

Germantown,  26,  33,  49,  75,  88,  89 

Godfrey,  Wm.,  58,  119 

gold,  141,  142 

Goshen,  92 

Goshen  meeting-house,  109 

grain,  41 

Gray,  Col.,  30 

Green,  Lieutenant,  80 

Greene,  Gen.,  58,64,76,116,118,150 

Greaves,  Geo.,  119 

Griffith,  Rev.  Abr.,  129 


grist  mill,  100,  125 
guards,  83 
Gulf  Hills,  45,  60,  69 
Gulf  Road,  27,  37,  59,  60,  80,  89, 
100,  103,  131 

Hamilton,  Col.  Alex.,  37,  38,  84,  89 
hardware,  102,  119 
Havard,  David,  115 

John,  58,  111,  112,  115,  143 
Samuel,  70,  111,  112 
Hazelton,  Thomas,  129 
Headquarters,  28,  54,  57,  59,  70,  72, 
84,  89,  99,  100,  104,  107,  123,  137, 

147 
Hessians,  33,  37,  38,  39,  sq.,  42,  43, 

120 

Heister,  Jos.,  84 
Heidelberg,  Leb.  Co.,  Pa.,  120 
Henry,  Wm.,  71,  80,  136,  137 
herds,  88 

Hodgson,  Capt.  Alex.,  129 
Holstein,  Matthias,  153 
honey-comb  stone,  139 
hospitals,  34,  35,  63,  75 
hunger,  51,  52 

Huntingdon,  Gen.,  57,  59,  71,  136 
huts,  24,  25,  54,  55,  56,  57,  58,  66, 

88,  92,  93,  95,  96,  124,  137 
Howe,  Gen.,  31,  44,  88,  89,  109 
Hughes,  John,  89 

Indians,  105 
Ireland,  77 

iron,  28,  29,  30,  31,  87,  88,  92,  97, 
99,  100,  101,  103,  120,  140 

Jackson,  Wm.,  120 
Jenkins,  Mr.,  128 
"       farm,  128 
"       island,  128 
"       pool,  128 
Jefferson,  Thos.,  84 
Jones,  Benj.,  87,  96,  119 
Rev.  David,  64 
Enoch,  113 
James,  100 
Nathaniel,  113,  114 
Samuel,  58,  81,  82,  113 
Jordan,  92 

Keugel's  Tavern,  82,  113 

Kirk,  James,  94 

Kennedy,  Alex.,  123,  124,  130 

David  R.,  130 

John,  130 

Wm.,  130 

Port,  130,  131 
Kingston,  Stephen,  134 
Kniphausen,  Gen.,  33 
Knox,  Gen.,  58,  59,  89,  112 
Kosciusko,  Gen.,  58,  70 


Lafayette,  Gen.,  58,  59,  64,  70,  76, 

77,  112,  146,  147 
Lancaster,  75 
lead,  107,  108,  141 
Lee,  Col.,  37,  38 
Lee,  Gen.,  58,  63,  77,  89,  115 
Lewises,  65 
lime,  130,  135,  140 
loyalists,  42 
MacDougai,  Gen.,  58 
Madison,  James,  84,  85 
Macons,  65 
Mann,  Jos.    (col.),  58 
Marlin,  Joshua,  102 
Marshal,  Chief  Justice  John,  84 
Mathachen,  44 
Matson's  Ford,  60,  89 
Maxwell,  Gen.,  58,  59,  111 
Mclntosh,  Gen.,  58,  59,  77 
Merion,  Upper,  45 
Merriwethers,  65 
Meschianza,  89 
militia,  32 
Miller,  John,  120 
Mifflin,  Gen.,  39,  58,  59,  64,  77,  97, 

119,  121,  150 
Miner,  Hon.  Chas.,  59 
Montgomery  County,  27,  29,  36,  45, 

Monroe,  James,  60 
Moore,  Anthony,  113 

Elizabeth,  83 

Edwin,  124 

Jane,  83 

Jesse,  53 

John,  57,  80,  87,  123,  124 

John,  Jr.,  124,  125 

Mordecai,  53,  54,  55,  57,  87, 
96,  123,  124 

Richard,  124 

Samuel,  124,  138 
Moores,  the,  92,  152 
Moores  Fort,  85 

Mordecai,  53,  86,  152 
"       John,  53,  85 
Morgan,  Gen.,  57,  60,  61,  123 

Mordecai,  60 
Morgan's  Corner,  61 
Morris,  Robert,  128,  129 
Morrisville,  128 
Mount  Joy,  27,  38,  121 
Mount  Misery,  27 
Muhlenberg,  Gen.,  57,  59,  77,  123 

Nash,  Gen.,  44,  59 
Nantmeal,  97 
New  England,  75,  76 
New  Englanders,  72,  75 
Neshaminy  Creek,  109 
neutrals,  42,  43,  109,  117 


New  York,  45 
Norris  Manor,  110 
Norristown,  29,  36 
North,  Caleb,  38,  120,  121 
North  Carolina,  44 
Nutt,  Samuel,  27 
Nutt's  Road,  27,  100 

observatory,  104 

officers,  5G,  58,  71,  74,  79,  80,  81, 

82,  95,  107,  114,  118,  123,  129 
Owen,  Robert,  100 


Park,  the,  60 
pasturage,   143 
Patterson,  Gen.,  82 
Paul,  Jacob,  100 
Joseph,  100 

Pawling   (Pauling)   family,  107 
Henry,  36,  72,  107,  133 
Levi,  72,  107,  133 
Nathan,  36 
Wm.,  107,  108 
Paoli,  26,  33,  75,  77 
Pawling's  Bridge,  107 

Ford,  36 

peace,  97,  98,  126,  155 
Penn,  Wm.,  128 
"      Letitia,   128 

Letitia's    Manor,    128 
Pennsylvania,  92 
pensions,  80,  87,  133 
Peacock,  Ralph,  101 
Peters,  Richard,  84 
"       Judge,  145 

Philadelphia,  26,  27,  31,  33,  34,  38, 
44,  79,  86,  88,89,  91,  97,  99,  101. 
124,126 
pension,  80 

Perkiomen  Creek,  44,  108,  109 
Phillips,  Jonathan,  114 
Pickering,  Timothy,  84 
pickets,  54,  88,  92,  96,  123 
picket  guard,  112 
Pineville,  N.  J.,  81 
Poland,  70 

Poor,  Gen.,  58,  59,  115,  119 
Porter,  Andrew,   133 

"       Gov.  David  E.,  133 
Potter,  Gen.,  59,  119 
Potts,  family  of,  29,  31 

David,  29,  31,99, 100, 101, 104 
Isaac,  29,  31,  59-65,  99,  100 
"       James,  101 

John,  29 

Pittsgrove,  N.  J.,  80 
Pottstown,  29 
Pittsgrove,  N.  J.,  80 
provost,  57 

guard,  133 


provisions,  31,  74,  79,  87,  95 
Proctor,  Col.,  59,  60 
Prussia,  68,  69,  70 
Pugh,  Mary,  81 
Pulaski,  Gen.,  58,  70,  115 

rafts,  37 

Rambo,  (Canoe)  John,  34 

rangers,  57,  60 

Reading,  75,  119 

Reading  Railroad,  27,  100,  131,  132, 

135 
Rear  Line  Hill,  54,  58,  59,  63,  86, 

104 

rebels,  31,  40 
Rebel  Hill,  60 
Record,  The  Village,  59 
redoubt,  59 
Reese,  Mrs.  Elizabeth,  69,  80 

"      George,  61 

"      Griffith,  61 

"      John,  60 
religion,  25,  39,  43,  47,  50,  64,  65, 

97,  109,  115,  117,  129 
relics,  91 
Republican,  36 
Ridge  Road,  36 
Richardson,  Eleanor,  137 
Richard,  Samuel,  33,    58,    81,    82, 

111,  113,  114 
Riley,  David,  129 
Roberts,  Hon.  Jonathan,  148 

Matthew,  110 

Robinson,  Col.  Thomas,  116,  117 
Rodgers,  Charles,  104 
&  Co.,  102 
John,  102,  103,  104 
Rogers,  Rev.  Wm.,  39 
royalists,  30,  31,  36,  37,  42,43,44,46 
Russia,  70 
Ryan,  Major,  116,  117 


Savannah,  70 

Schuylkill  County,  105 

Falls  of,  35,  36 
river,  27,  31,  34,  45,  52, 
53,  54,  59,  60,  72,  73,  89,  90,  92, 
100,  107,  108,  124,  125,152 

Scott,  Gen.,  82,  113 

secret  doors,  101 

Sernea,  Gen.,  82 

shoes,  49,  62 

Shur,  Michael,  57,  129,  134 

Shannonville  (now  Audubon),  108 

Sharpless,  Isaac,  134,  135 
John,  112 

Shearer,  John,  108 

sick,  the,  75,  121 

Skippack,  33,  44 

slavery,  41,  50 

small-pox,  62,  75,  117,  118 


Smallwood,  Gen.,  58,  59 
Smith,  Provost  Wm.,  57,  128,  138 
"       Samuel,  94 
"       Gen.  Samuel,  73 
Southerners,  63,  65 
South,  the,  80 

springs  of  water,  125,  129,  130,  132 
spy,  31,  37,  79 
State  Road,  82,  112,  113 
Stephens,  Dr.  Abijah,  42,  51,  57,  67, 
70,  87,  95,  96,  121,  122,  143 
Abijah,  Jr.,  137 
adhesive  plaster,  122 
Benj.,  40 
Elizabeth,  83 
David,  53,  55,  57,  73,  80, 
85,  96,  97,  128,  136,  143 
(Fort),  54,  85 
family,  28,  70,  92,  152 
Grandmother,  50,  51,  52, 
81,  83 

Jehu,  35,  38,  107 
"        Maurice,  71,  136 

Sarah,  36 
"         Stephen.  39,  122 

Wm.,  137 

Sterling,  Gen.  Lord,  60,  69,  115 
Steuben,  Baron,  58,  70,  71,  137 
Steuben's  Kitchen,  71 
stores,  military,  31,  32,  33,  37,  38, 

79,  89 

Stony  Creek,  36 
Sullivan,  Gen.,  58,  59,  64,  72,  73, 

77,  119,  120,  150 

Sullivan's  Bridge,  72,  73,  107,  137 
surgery,  96 
Sutcliffe,  Robert,  110 
Susquehanna  river,  47 
Swede's  Ford,  34,  36 

tavern,  35 

Thomson,  Archibald,  36 

Rev.  Chas.,  155 
timber,  30,  41,  54,  74,  87,  95,  96, 

101,  102,  143,  145 
Tories,  42,  90,  117 
Towamencin,  44 
Trumbull,  Col.,  84 


University  of  Pa.,  39,  57 

Valley  Creek,  27,  53,  54,  58,  59,  70, 

86,  87.  102,  103,  115 
Valley  forge,  the  ,  24,  25,  26,  27, 

92,  93,  97,  98,  120 
Valley  Forge  estate,  20,  28,  29,  38, 

54,  55,  99,  115,  136 
Valley,  the  Great,  32,  57,  58,  75,  87, 

92,  111,  113,  125  and  152 
Valley  Road,  27 


Vanderslice,  Thomas,  108 
Varnum,  Gen.,  57,  59,  84,  137 
Vaux,  James,  109 
Virginia,  50 
Vodges,  Jacob,  101,  102 

Wag-staff,  Hugh,  103 

Wales,  28 

Walker,  Enoch,  118 

Mrs.  Elizabeth,  82 

Hanniah,  120 

Isaac,  28,  58,  76,  81,  116, 
117,  118 

Jacob,  87,  119 

Joseph,    87,    96,    115,    116, 
117,  118 

Lewis,    28,    113,    114,    115, 
116,  117,  118 

Richard  C.,  116,  135 

Sarah,  83 

Thomas,  116,  134 

Wm.,  116 

Walkers,  the,  92,  152 
Walters,  Jacob,  58 
Wanwag,  Lewis,  130 
War  of  1812,  84 
Waters,  Thomas,  32,  34,  38,  40,  41, 

42,  87,  96,  119,  120 
Watson,  John,  89 
Zook,  David,  124,  131 


Wayne,  Gen.  Anthony,  58,  59,  64, 
76,  113,  114,  lie-US^  121,  148,  150 

Wayne,  Hon.  Isaac,  148,  150 

Washington,  Gen.,  24,  25,  28,  30, 
33,  38,  44,  45,  46,  57,  59,  63,  64, 
65,  77,  81,  84,  88,  90,  109,  118, 
121,  122,  126,  127,  150,151 

Washington,  Lady,  64,  118 

Weem's  History,  65 

Weisel,  Frederick,  134 

Wetherill's,  107,  108 

West  Chester,  59,  147 

Wheedon,  Gen.,  49,  50,  58,  59,  66, 
67,  81 

White  Horse,  109 

Williams,  John,  34 

Wilson,  David,  112 

Wissahickon,  89 

Woodford,  Gen.,  82,  113 

Woodman,  Edward,  30,  87,  109, 126 
127,  150,  151,  157-164 
Mrs.  Edward,  150,  168 
Henry,  7-10,  24-25 

Worthington,  John,  112 

wounded,  the,  75 

Yellow  Springs,  75 
York  County,  46,  47,  61 

Watson's  Annals,  89 


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